Brickley initially named the runs “BlackOps” because he wanted the workouts and open runs to be discreet. Here, he gives us his breakdown of another year of BlackOps Basketball and his award picks.

The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards

Breakout Season: Paolo Banchero

Photo by @kees2life

This was the fourth summer I worked with Paolo. His energy was laser-focused! We would go 60-75 minutes, and he did every drill at game speed. Coming off his first All-Star season and playoff run, he wanted more. I believe we will see Paolo in many more All-Star Games and many more playoff runs. The Magic will be very good this year.

Best Summer Shooter Award: Klay Thompson

Klay came in this offseason looking like a completely different player. He seemed a step quicker, and he shot incredibly well all summer. He literally broke every shooting record this summer. But, in CJ McCollum’s defense, Klay locked in with me in August/September, while CJ held many records and worked with me in May/June.

Best Middle Schooler I Have Ever Worked With: JJ Crawford

During the workout, JJ’s father (Jamal Crawford), Jordan Clarkson and Boardroom’s Nick DePaula were watching. Ju was hitting NBA three-pointers at a high percentage, picking up the ballhandling drills I was giving him and getting buckets on my interns! The internet always gives the interns a hard time, but they can really defend. After the workout, Jamal and I talked hoops for about an hour, and it was one of my favorite conversations of the summer. Jamal is a true student of the game. I’m calling it now: JJ Crawford will be a top-five pick one day!

Draft Day Award: Matas Buzelis and Tyler Kolek

I believe both of these guys will have long NBA careers. Matas will be a name we see on ESPN’s Top 10 plays many times this season. Tyler Kolek is my sleeper from this past draft. The Knicks got a great playmaker and scorer at No. 34. I think he’ll bring great energy with the second unit.

NCAA Award: lan Jackson

The best thing that happened to Ian Jackson was that to start his senior season, he dropped in the rankings. His entire workout approach changed at that moment, and Ian became a man on the basketball court. He worked out with me five days a week—sometimes twice a day—and went hard! I put him in situations where he played 1-on-1 with NBA players, and he more than held his own—he was wowing everyone in the gym. I can’t wait to see what he does at UNC this season.

High School Award: Kiyan Anthony & Chris Cenac Jr.

I’ve seen Kiyan Anthony develop from a little kid running around MSG to getting buckets in the NBA BlackOps runs. He is constantly texting me, showing his urgency to get in more workouts and keep improving. Chris Cenac played in the Brickley Invitational and shocked me during the workout portion. At 6-10, he can shoot the three, finish around the rim, play in the mid-post and try to dunk on you by the rim. It’s no surprise he’s skyrocketing up the rankings!

Chris Brickley Invitational Award: Tyran Stokes and Jasper Johnson

Tyran Stokes is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2026 for a reason—he’s a matchup nightmare. He can shoot and find his teammates, and his motor is always on 100. Jasper Johnson went crazy in the game, hitting tough shot after tough shot. He really reminds me of D’Angelo Russell. Kentucky is producing high-level prospects right now.

Mentor Award: Russell Westbrook

People can say what they want about Russ, but the reality is he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. This was the second offseason in a row where he took the time to mentor a younger player. Last summer, it was Azzi Fudd from UConn, and this summer it was New Jersey legend Isaiah Briscoe. Russ invited Briscoe to a few of his 6 a.m. workouts and shared some gems. Russ and I have developed a genuine relationship over the years, and I’m thankful to have him as a friend.

GOAT Award: LeBron James

I was blessed to help prepare LeBron for his Gold medal run. His work definitely paid off, as he ended up getting MVP of the Olympics at 39 years old! Aside from his great workouts, toward the end of the summer, I was offered a lot of NBA coaching positions, and I needed someone to talk to who knows the game and the business. I reached out to LeBron with no expectations—if he didn’t respond, I wouldn’t have been upset at all, knowing he has a million things going on. But he sent me some great advice, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, thanks to the GOAT for taking the time to do that.

Best Group Workout of the Summer: Kevin Durant and CJ McCollum

There was something special about the energy at The Summit, with music blaring through the Bose speakers. Normally, players gradually work up to game-speed actions, but this workout was different. KD caught the ball in the corner, ripped through hard with two dribbles and hit a beautiful pull-up–just like he was in a playoff game. Then I passed the ball to CJ, and he did the same thing. For the next 65 minutes, both players gave it their all. That was awesome.

Best Rapper Basketball Player: Russ

Russ decided to take basketball seriously and came to me after training with his Atlanta trainer. He became a knockdown shooter. The transformation in his game was insane. He had dribble moves, was hitting NBA threes with consistency and just played with confidence. I think Russ became the best rapper-shooter l’ve ever worked with.

Best BlackOps Matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley, fresh off signing his $175 million deal with the Raptors, was playing with supreme confidence against All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson. There was definitely a sense of major competition. Quickley backed up Brunson for the Knicks before being traded to the Raptors, so it felt like Quick was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Watching these two go at it for almost two hours was super entertaining. It was like watching a great boxing match. They were giving it their all and not letting up. Man, that was a great run!

Photos by @nextsubject.

The post The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards: LeBron James, Jalen Brunson and More appeared first on SLAM.

Check out the top 30-21 players here and 20-11 here.

10. Klay Thompson

“Buckets and Chill.” The cover line from SLAM 215—featured below an iconic photo of Klay Thompson rocking sunglasses and lounging in a beach chair—pretty much sums it up. Laid-back off the court, Thompson has always been an assassin on it. He’s won four championships, made five All-Star teams and scored over 15,500 points with the Golden State Warriors. When Klay (also known as “Game 6 Klay”) had the hot hand, it was a wrap for whoever was on the other side. In 2015, he set the NBA record for points in a quarter with 37.

9. Devin Booker

If we’re talking pure bucket-getters, Devin Booker’s name has to be mentioned. The dynamic guard from Grand Rapids, MI, has developed a complete offensive game. He can attack the basket and finish around the rim; his mid-range arsenal is elite; and he’s a serious threat from behind the arc. Just go watch the highlights from his 70-point masterpiece in 2017 or his 59-point gem in 2019 or his 62-point outburst this past season. At 27 years old, Book is a 4x All-Star with even more room to improve. Rest assured, there are a lot more buckets to come.

8. Derrick Rose

D-Rose graced the cover of SLAM while he was a freshman at Memphis in 2007-08. The cover line read: “Fresh to Death. Derrick Rose is the NBA’s next big star.” Truthfully, that prediction could have been made even earlier, when the explosive guard was lighting up the court at Simeon Career Academy (IL) and made his appearance at the Top 100 Camp. In 2011, at the age of 22, Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history. His career has been filled with adversity due to numerous injuries, but the 3x All-Star has persevered through it all to leave a major imprint on the game. 

7. Anthony Davis

From Perspectives Charter (IL) to the University of Kentucky to the NBA, Anthony Davis has more than lived up to the hype. It all started when the kid from Chicago hit a major growth spurt in high school, maintaining his guard skills while adjusting to a new big-man frame. Davis went on to win the Naismith Award, Wooden Award and an NCAA championship in his sole season at Kentucky before getting drafted with the first overall pick by New Orleans. He’s been hampered by injuries throughout his 12 years in the League, but Davis has still accomplished basically everything there is to accomplish at the highest level, including getting a ring in 2020. 

6. Kyrie Irving

The man with arguably the greatest handles of all time attended the Top 100 Camp back when he was a high school sensation in New Jersey. Irving spent one year at Duke before entering the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was picked first by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s been an All-Star eight times and sunk one of the biggest shots in NBA history in 2016, helping the Cavs complete their epic 3-1 comeback to win the title. With that shot and countless ankle breakers, mind-boggling layups and cold-blooded game-winners, Irving’s highlight reel is a must-watch. Really, it’s the work of a basketball genius.

5. Dwight Howard

Not too long ago, when the role of center was viewed very differently, Dwight Howard was perhaps the most powerful and unstoppable force in basketball. A young superstar at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Howard won Gatorade National Player of the Year and then was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He bounced around quite a bit after leaving Orlando in 2012, which led many to forget what he did during those early years in the League, including making five consecutive All-NBA First Team appearances and winning three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. Consider this your reminder.

4. James Harden

From Artesia High School in Lakewood, CA, where he won two state championships and was a McDonald’s All-American in 2007, to now, James Harden has carved out an incredible career that frequently gets overlooked. This is a guy who averaged 31.7 points, 8.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds (!) over a five-season span from 2015-20—a stretch that included an MVP award in 2018. He was named to the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team in 2021, and deservedly so. 

3. Kevin Durant

Coming out of the DMV, Kevin Durant was one of the most hyped prospects in the nation. And since then, well, he hasn’t disappointed one bit. The future Hall of Famer has said that he probably would have gone straight to the NBA from high school if the one-and-done rule didn’t exist. Instead, he starred at Texas for one season and then got scooped with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007. Durant is undoubtedly one of the greatest offensive talents in NBA history, winning the League’s scoring title four times. When he has it going—which, over the past 17 years, has been a very common occurrence—there’s literally nothing anyone can do to stop him.

2. Stephen Curry

A slept-on prospect from Charlotte Christian School named Stephen Curry attended the Top 100 Camp before going to Davidson, where he became a 2x consensus All-American and led the Wildcats to the 2008 Elite Eight. The skinny kid with a baby face from North Carolina was still somewhat slept on, falling to seventh in the 2009 NBA Draft. But even those who foresaw greatness in Curry could not have predicted this: 10x All-Star and All-NBA, 2x MVP, 4x Champion and the all-time leader in three-pointers made. Oh yeah, and he completely changed the way the game is played.

1. Kobe Bryant

It was clear when he was dominating at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania that Kobe Bean Bryant was special. He was one of the first future stars to attend the Top 100 Camp, jumping straight to the NBA in 1996. It wasn’t long before he was dominating at that level, too. The résumé is undeniable—18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 12x All-Defense, 5x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 MVP, the list goes on—but Bryant was most defined by his relentless work ethic, remarkable determination and absurd competitiveness. The Mamba Mentality, as his approach to the game and other endeavors came to be called, continues to inspire people everywhere.

The post NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 30 Players: 10-1 appeared first on SLAM.

We compiled a group of individuals (programming note: 30 entries, not 30 people total) who mean something special to SLAM and to our audience. Read the full list here and order your copy of SLAM 248, where this list was originally published, here.

John Wall has graced the cover of SLAM as a high schooler, as a college player and as a pro. Oh, and he has a KICKS cover, too. Trying to think of someone else who can say that? There ain’t one. This issue is dedicated to the most influential SLAM guys ever. All-time players, fan favorites, real hoopers. But only John Wall can claim that. (Bragging rights for that fun fact may come on a bit of a technicality, since legends like LeBron and Kobe never played college ball, but still!)

An athletic freak able to finish with power or finesse with either hand, Wall has always been a blur—faster while dribbling a basketball than 90 percent of other players in a full sprint without one. In the prime of his career, Wall’s athleticism made him an All-NBA player, but his relentless confidence and never-back-down demeanor made him a fan favorite. At points, he called himself the best two-way point guard in the League and the best shot-blocking PG in history. At a time when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were still going strong, John declared himself and Bradley Beal the best backcourt in the NBA, too.

Part of what’s made Wall such a magnetic force in basketball culture since he was a teenager is that he wears his heart on his sleeve. Like when he jumped on the scorer’s table after beating the Celtics in a legendary Eastern Conference Semis Game 6, celebrating with the Wizards’ faithful. Or when he broke down crying in a postgame interview after the tragic passing of 6-year-old cancer patient Miyah, with whom he’d developed a strong bond. Or when he returned to DC years later in a Clippers uniform and proudly screamed out, “This is my city!” to the arena he called home for five All-Star seasons. Wall has always been unapologetically himself, from the very beginning.

And yet, the eventual No. 1 pick in the 2010 Draft was virtually unheard of outside of North Carolina when he started high school. But after killing local competition at Reebok camps everywhere from Chicago to Philly, we highlighted his play at the ’08 Elite 24 Game in SLAM 122.

And it must be mentioned: John Wall has the GOAT high school mixtape. With over 10 million views and counting, it is four minutes of utterly breathtaking basketball—no-look dimes, ankle-shattering fastbreak spin moves, ferocious finishes at the rim with both hands. No disrespect to the HS mixtapes of Brandon Jennings, Aquille Carr, Seventh Woods or Austin Rivers, but John’s is still the best ever. [Ed. Note: This is Abe’s opinion. We don’t have time to debate this here.] In the year 2176, people will still have his mixtape bookmarked. The top comment on YouTube jokes, “Imagine having to guard John Wall after a long day of pre-calc and AP gov,” but that’s really how it was for the Class of 2009.

We dubbed John a future star on the cover of SLAM 128, alongside Lance Stephenson. Soon after, JW linked up with DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and the rest of John Calipari’s first No. 1 recruiting class at Kentucky. As a freshman, he won SEC Player of the Year, was a consensus first-team All-American and was front-and-center on his second SLAM cover, appearing next to his teammates and Coach Cal on the May 2010 ish that immortalized that iconic squad.

It got so crazy at UK that John had to take golf carts to class to avoid mobs of fans. Kids across the country were imitating his signature dance, flexing and twisting at the wrist. Believe it or not, “Do the John Wall” by Troop 41 has even more YouTube views than Wall’s legendary mixtape.

Fitting that John had his own theme song, since his passion for music has always permeated his style. Hell, it influenced us—go back over his cover lines and feature stories in the pages of SLAM over the years, and you’ll see not-so-subtle odes to the likes of DeJ Loaf, Shy Glizzy, Lil Durk and Fetty Wap. That love has always been reciprocated by the artists, too. Put it this way: John Wall is probably your favorite rapper’s favorite NBA player.

Which is why it was no surprise to us when John hit the Dougie during intros of his home NBA debut, immediately capturing the imagination of a new generation of basketball fans—and pissing off old hacks like Colin Cowherd. (The same guy who once scrunched up his face to try to shit on guys like Wall, Russ and Melo by telling a national radio audience: “SLAM Magazine will put on the guy that scores, and has style, and has got some juice to his game.” Word. And?)

Wall’s first solo SLAM cover dropped during his rookie year with the Wiz, followed by another in 2015 and then KICKS 18, shot by the legendary Atiba Jefferson. John’s SLAM covers have chronicled his rise from unknown kid to HS mixtape legend to college star to perennial All-Star with his own signature shoe. And he’s taken us along for the ride every step of the way, the #WallWay. 

Featured image via Getty Images. Portrait by Atiba Jefferson.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: John Wall appeared first on SLAM.

To celebrate the moment, we got San Antonio Spurs superfan Shea Serrano to explain what this moment means: to him, to the Spurs fanbase, to the world. It’s time. 

Victor Wembanyama covers SLAM 247. Get your copy here.

This cover story will eventually be about Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 exaggeration of a human and the most exciting and enticing new basketball prospect in two decades. First, though, it’s going to be about Ralph.

Ralph is a security guard at the building where I office out of. He and I talk, were I to guess, for an average of about 45 seconds each day, almost always in the mornings when I first arrive at work and only ever about sports. 

The way our interactions typically go is: I arrive to the building around 8 a.m. I type an entry code into a keypad at the front door. I wait half a second to hear a tiny clicking sound that lets me know that the door, large and metal and otherwise impenetrable, is momentarily unlocked. I pull the door open. I walk into the building. I look to my right. And that’s where I see Ralph, who is stationed at a desk some twenty or so feet away. I say “Ralphieeeeeeeee,” and I always stretch the final “E” out long like that in hopes that it makes me appear more charming and interesting than I actually am. He says, “What’s up, Shea” back to me, but he says it in a normal way because he doesn’t have to pretend to be charming and interesting because he actually is charming and interesting. 

I walk over to him, we touch fists, and then I comment on something sports-related, to which he responds with something sports-related. Then there’s one more conversational volley (either a follow-up to the first sports thing, or the introduction of a new sports thing that is slightly less important than the first), and then that’s it. I smile and laugh and he smiles and laughs and then I walk away, both of us knowing we very likely will not see or talk to the other person again until the next morning, at which point we will reenact the entire scene again with only slightly different dialogue. We have done this each work day for nearly three years now. It’s the best relationship I have ever had with someone who carries handcuffs.

When the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery this past May (and with it, the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama later that summer), I texted Ralph in celebration. We had never texted with each other before that moment (in fact, I had to text a separate person in the building to even get Ralph’s phone number) or even spoken with one another anywhere in the world other than at his desk on a weekday morning. But I felt compelled to reach out to him that evening. 

I felt compelled to expand the conditions and parameters of our relationship, even if I didn’t realize that that’s what I was doing at the time. 

Victor Wembanyama bends and reshapes everything.

Basketball things, obviously.

But other things, too, it seems. 

***

It’s always been weird to watch a human who is 7-foot-3 or taller dribble a basketball, but it’s never been weird the way Victor Wembanyama makes it weird. And what I mean is:

Picture, say, for example, Hasheem Thabeet (7-foot-3) dribbling the ball up the court. Or picture, say, for another example, Boban Marjanovic (7-foot-4) dribbling the ball up the court. Or picture, say, for a third example, Chuck Nevitt (7-foot-5) dribbling the ball up the court. Or picture, say, for a final example, Tacko Fall (7-foot-6) dribbling the ball up the court. Those are all very weird scenarios and situations and circumstances, both in abstraction and in practice. The arms, the legs, the elbows, the knees, the ball, the bouncing, the walking—it’s just all a weird combination together. With regard to traditional basketball aesthetics, nothing is where it’s supposed to be, or moving the way it’s supposed to move. Somebody that tall bringing the ball up the court is something that, if you turned on your TV and happened to see it during a game, you would say to yourself some version of, “Okay. Well, clearly something has gone wrong with this offensive possession. This couldn’t possibly have been the first option.”     

But that’s not what you say when you see Victor Wembanyama bringing the ball up the court. What you say when you see Victor Wembanyama bringing the ball up the court is some version of, “Okay. Well. Fuck. We’re all dead.”

Because it’s smooth, the way he dribbles.

And fluid.

And coordinated.

And beautiful.

And devastating.

It’s like if God was looking at a picture of a guard on someone’s iPhone in heaven, touched the screen with his pinched-together index finger and thumb, expanded the image to make it bigger, and then was like, “Boom. There you go. That’s a person now.” 

Victor Wembanyama dribbles a basketball completely normally. 

That’s why it’s weird in a way that it’s never been weird before. 

***

The San Antonio Spurs played the Miami Heat on October 13, 2023. It was the first home game of the preseason for the Spurs, and so I guess that was a little bit why it was important, but also Victor Wembanyama was playing in it, and so that’s mainly why it was important. 

And I would like to tell you about one specific play from that night. 

So:

With a little under 40 seconds to go in the second quarter, Wembanyama dribbled the ball up the court. There was no rush. And there was no urgency. There was just a very tall person dribbling a basketball calmly and confidently and normally, which, again, was entirely weird. 

His defender, a 6-foot-10 League veteran named Thomas Bryant, waited for him in a defensive position a few feet beyond the three-point line.

As Wembanyama crossed the half court line, Tre Jones (point guard for the Spurs) hustled over and angled to set a screen on Bryant. Wembanyama, spying the action, sped up slightly as Jones approached, hoping to force Bryant into making some kind of defensive mistake.

Bryant didn’t, though. He did what you’re supposed to do when a smaller player heads over to set a screen on a bigger player out on the perimeter: you get ready for the smaller player to slip the screen at the last second so as to create a new second action to potentially exploit a suddenly out of position defense. 

And that’s exactly what happened.  

Bryant’s instincts were 100 percent correct.

And it made 0 percent of a difference.

Jones slipped the screen and slid over to the right bend area of the three-point line. Wembanyama passed him the ball. And Bryant sat back in the space waiting for Jones to make a decision. And that’s when everything turned to muck for him, and for the Heat, and (potentially) (probably) for the NBA. 

Before Jones had even fully gathered the ball, Wembanyama, still out past the three-point line, pointed to the sky. The gesture, while completely ludicrous in its implication, was impossible to misinterpret. Despite (a) still being 22 or so feet from the rim, and despite (b) having a defender to his immediate left, and despite (c) Bryant still being directly involved in the play, and despite (d) the other three Miami Heat defenders also being in the general area, Wembanyama wanted Jones to throw him an alley-oop.

Jones, suddenly an audience member on stage with a magician during the reveal of a big trick, decided he wanted to see what would happen if he did what Wembanyama was asking him to do, and so he did what Wembanyama was asking him to do. 

Right as the ball touched his hands, Jones tossed it up into the air. 

Victor dove into the paint, planted both shoes nine feet before the rim, jumped as four of the five Heat defenders converged in the area, snatched the ball out of the atmosphere with both hands, cocked it back, then thunderdunked it before anyone else could even jump. 

The arena, rightly, erupted.

The internet, rightly, erupted.

Reggie Miller, who was one of the commentators calling the game that night, rightly, erupted.

“LOOK AT THIS!” he shouted, his voice fat with astonishment.

Or: “LOOK AT THIS!” he shouted, his voice fat with surprise.

Or: “LOOK AT THIS!” he shouted, his voice fat with glee. 

Or: “LOOK AT THIS!” he shouted, because that’s the only thing you can shout when you’re in the middle of watching something as ridiculous as a 7-foot-4 Frenchman fly into the paint against a completely set defense, jump from several feet outside of the restricted circle, and then dunk an alley-oop that he called for from out past the three-point line.

It was such a wild play. 

And an unbelievable play. 

And a preposterous play.

It was also, at best, only the fourth most impressive thing Victor Wembanyama would end up doing that night. 

***

The San Antonio Spurs played the Golden State Warriors on October 20, 2023. It was the final game of the preseason for the Spurs, and so I guess that was a little bit why it was important, but also Victor Wembanyama was playing in it, and so that’s mainly why it was important. 

During the game, Victor Wembanyama: (1) caught a pass out past the three-point line, crossed over his defender off the dribble, pump faked a jumper, then pulled up for real as his defender floated harmlessly past him; (2) grabbed a defensive rebound, brought the ball up court, initiated the offense, then hit an and-one circus shot from behind the backboard while being pushed out of bounds (he also hit the accompanying free throw); (3) closed out from 10 feet away to block a Klay Thompson three-pointer and then sprinted down court to receive and dunk the post-block outlet pass (my favorite part of this play is that he caught the pass, hit the brakes, waited for a trailing Klay Thompson to zoom by, then waited an extra second so that a second defender could catch up and get dunked on); and (4) defended a smaller player on the perimeter, forced him into the paint, blocked his shot, ran down court as a Jeremy Sochan gathered the errant ball, caught a pass from Sochan, then pulled up for 3, splashing it in.  

It was four great plays that would look great on anybody’s full-game highlight reel.

Victor Wembanyama did them all over just a 90-second stretch in the middle of the first quarter. 

***

There is no precedent for Victor Wembanyama. 

There’s no single player you can reach backwards in time for and attach him to, like how when LeBron James showed up and people were like, “He’s the next Michael Jordan,” or how when Clarence Weatherspoon showed up and people were like, “He’s the next Charles Barkley,” or how when any white player shows up and people are like, “He’s like that other white player.”

There is no precedent for Victor Wembanyama. 

There are only amalgamations.

“He’s like if you mixed Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Durant.” 

“He’s like if you mixed Kareem Abdul Jabbar with Tracy McGrady.”

“He’s like if you mixed a fighter jet and a jaguar.”

That’s the kind of shit you have to say when you talk about him.

I have no idea how Victor Wembanyama’s career is going to play out. 

I suspect there will be championship rings and MVP trophies and various other accolades. 

But that’s just a guess. 

What I do know, though, is that right now, right at this particular moment, it kind of doesn’t matter. 

What matters is what he’s already given us, which is to say: 

Joy. 

And excitement. 

Excitement for now and excitement for the future.

Excitement in imagining what might be; what he might do; what he might mean for basketball; what he might mean for everything.

Victor Wembanyama is here. 

SLAM 247 Cover Tees featuring Wemby are available now.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post He’s Here: What the Arrival of Victor Wembanyama Means to the World appeared first on SLAM.

He initially named the runs “Black Ops” because he wanted the workouts and open runs to be discreet. Here, Brickley is giving you an insider breakdown of another year of Black Ops Basketball.

The 2023 SLAM x BlackOps Awards

Breakout Season: Bones Hyland 

This was my first off-season working with Bones. Every time we worked out, he was very impressive. I was surprised at how well he shot the ball along with his positive attitude. I think the Clippers are a great spot for him and I’m ready for him to have a breakout year.

Mentor Award: Donovan Mitchell

Over the past few off-seasons, the Mentor Award went to Carmelo Anthony. Donavan Mitchell is now the new recipient of that award—not only is he a mentor towards young players in the NBA but he also is a mentor to some of the nation’s most elite. After workouts, he would talk to guys like Ian Jackson and Elliot Cadeau and give them some real gems on the journey of becoming a pro.

Draft Day Award: Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore 

The Houston Rockets had a great NBA Draft. I think both Amen and Cam could have immediate impacts this season. Both players play both sides of the ball and are super eager to get better. Shout out to the scouting department in Houston, they did their thing.

The Future Award: Cooper Flagg

I think Cooper is a once in a generation type of player. He is super versatile and can finish above the rim, with both hands. He’s a constant matchup problem on offense and great on the defensive end. He’s a beast. His knack for blocking shots is as good as I’ve seen at the high school level and he has something that you can’t teach. He has that DOG in him. 

Prior to reclassifying, Cooper was one of the most impressive players at the Brickley invitational. 

Best BlackOps Duo: Klay Thompson and Kevin Love

Klay Thompson and Kevin Love grew up together, but they never played on the same team. This offseason when they played on the same team at the Black Ops run, it was special to watch. They won five straight games, which I think was the first time a team did so in BlackOps history. The way they complimented each other, you would have thought they were teammates in the past. 

Klay was moving out the ball, K-Love was finding him and vice versa. It seemed like they both didn’t miss a shot. 

Shooting Award: Paige Bueckers 

We did a bunch of shooting drills, but Paige hit 29 threes in a row. That was the most threes we’ve seen consecutively all offseason. I’m excited to watch Paige play this year at UConn, she’s going to remind people how good she is. The last time she’s played a full season, she was college basketball’s Player of the Year. 

Surprise Player Award: Ty Jerome

Ty has been in the League for four seasons. The Cavaliers will be his fourth team. I think with the right opportunity Ty is going to shock a lot of people in the League. He’s very elite from a skill standpoint. There’s nothing that he can’t do: he shoots at an elite level, his ball handling is elite and so is his decision-making. I think he could be a bright spot off the bench for the Cavs this year. 

Early Bird Award: Jimmy Butler 

Nobody works out as early in the morning as Jimmy Butler. He comes with a different type of energy in the mornings; he’s going to have either country music or heavy metal blasting on the speakers and the gym is going to feel like a sauna. I think I still dream about the number 78— that’s what the gym needed to be set for every time Jimmy worked out. Not only did he get a good workout but everyone in the gym got in a good sweat, too.

Jimmy is ready to have one of the best seasons of his career! He had a great summer of workouts. 

Best Black Ops Matchup: Donovan Mitchell vs Trae Young

It was fun seeing two of the most elite guards in the NBA go at each other. Originally, Donovan was just supposed to work out and watch the run but once Trae arrived, he persuaded Donovan to play. Both of them were going at each other and the series ended 3-2. Donovan’s team got the win for the day.

High Flyers Award: Obi Toppin and Jacob Toppin

Every time the Toppin brothers came to a run, both of them were above the rim the entire time. They both posterized many players this offseason. I’m excited to watch Obi with the Pacers. 

Most viral picture picture: Jan (Russell Westbrook workout) 

Shoutout our intern from Vietnam, Jan. Jan had a hard task all offseason with guarding  some of the NBA’s best players. He definitely had a difficult time guarding Russell Westbrook! I don’t blame him but this picture in particular went viral across the world. We joke about it with him to this day.

Football Player Hooper Award: Tom Brady and Steffon Diggs

If I was starting a basketball team of NFL players. I would definitely have Stefon Diggs as my point guard and Tom Brady as my shooting guard. Both of these guys are really talented on the basketball court. I would say Tom Brady is a better shooter, but Diggs is a better playmaker. Diggs has bounce, too. 

Most Surprising Shooter Award: H.E.R.

Grammy award-winning artist H.E.R. has developed a big-time jumpshot!! In the past, the best artist shooting award would go to J. Cole, but I think Gabi would make a run for that award now. She can really shoot it. Ask Jimmy Butler. 

‘He’s Next’ Award: Kiyan Anthony 

Not only did he grow a few inches this summer, but Kiyan Anthony really made a name for himself on the EYBL Circuit. He has developed some of his dad’s footwork, which has made him one of the most elite grassroot players in the country. Sky’s the limit for Kiyan. 

Most Viral Moment: Tom Brady 

The most viral moment was definitely the Tom Brady workout. It got 34 million views across all platforms within the first 48 hours. On my page, it was shared 58,600 times. That’s the most of any video this summer. Tom Brady is the GOAT! 

• 
  The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards: LeBron James, Jalen Brunson and More
  by Chris Brickley

The post The 2023 SLAM x Black Ops Awards: Jimmy Butler, Tom Brady and More appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM: What is the smallest detail of basketball that you can share with us?

Stephen Curry: Probably breathing. My skills coach Brandon Payne always talks about breathing is a skill. And I think for the young kids it’s beneficial but they can kinda get away with it just because they’re so energetic and young they don’t even need to warm up these days. They just go out there and hoop. But the deeper you get into your career being able to control your breathing, like, recovery, controlling your nerves, all those types of things. I’ve really tried to master that in the last five, six years. Nobody would really know you’re doing it while you’re doing it.

SLAM: Physical and mental at the same time?

SC: Exactly. Just connecting that. That’s an all-the time-thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s, you know, in my training sessions or training camp or preseason or regular season or Finals, whatever it is, like, it’s always a fine detail of kind of mastering the game.

SLAM: Beautiful. What have you learned from kids?

SC: It’s just a reminder of, you know, there’s a lot of different approaches to the game. You know, they’re so talented and skilled and they all have different strengths and weaknesses, but being able to put them in a position where they’re tested with the details of balance and mechanics and processing information, like, that cycle always kind of reveals itself. I keep telling them, even in my 15th year, going into my 15th year in the League, I’m still trying to perfect the stuff that I’m teaching them. And they’re probably learning for the first time. They remind you of that journey. We all started from somewhere. They’re a lot better than I was when I was their age. Just understanding, like, I still feel like I can get better, so I hope that they hear that and then watching them get bright-eyed when I tell them something like that just gives me so much juice. This game is such a beautiful game.

SLAM: It is so beautiful and I want to get back to the kids in a second. But the way that you’re talking about the game to me, it really makes me think about intention and instinct and how basketball exists on this bridge of intention and instinct. What’s the clearest way that you can illustrate where instinct takes over when you’re on the court?

SC: I mean we drill it in some of the sessions that we’ve had out there where Coach McKillop, he mentioned he wants to train players to be detailed but free and the freedom comes in being able to just make decisions and be able to see the floor and try and make it almost slow motion. Like, the way that you can process information, where your defender is, where the other 8 guys that are on the court are. Time and score, you know, the flow of the game, all that type of stuff. You could talk about it for hours. Like, examining every single game you watch on TV, how many decisions are being made on every possession. I think that’s why every play is different, every game is different. Being able to understand who you are as a player, play to your strengths, but then process information within the game… When you can master that and then the game slows down the instincts are like… it’s almost like you’re Spider-Man out there for a little bit where you can just kinda bend the game to your will a little bit. And there’s confidence that comes with that too.

SLAM: Can you run me through what your senses of sight, touch, and hear are doing in those moments where you become Spider-Man?

SC: That’s a good question. I feel like it’s one of those things where it’s hard to explain just because everything just feels in sync. You’re not really hearing the crowd, even if there’s, like, 18,000-19,000 people in the stadium, you don’t really feel it. You feel like you’re by yourself out there. There’s a little bit of inner conversation going on, almost like narrating what’s going on in real time. But the flow of the game, or I guess the flow of your senses are all just in sync. And it’s a fun space to be in when you have that much control over the game.

SLAM: Have you seen any of the kids demonstrate anything close to that?

SC: They all have their moments for sure, and I think even, like, Cooper Flagg, when he’s out there, he’s one that shows just a know-how and a confidence and a basketball I.Q. Always trying to make the right play at all times. He obviously can show his athleticism and his overall skill set, but he’s one that I’ve seen that’s never really in a hurry out there. And for the high school level that’s hard to find cause they’re so athletic, so fast, they rely on that. But he almost plays like an NBA style at, whatever he is, 16. So that like… watching that, you can see it. You can see the little difference in just his pace and his overall know-how. But, I mean, all the guys are showing it in terms of being able to make plays, show their dominance at certain times within the sessions that we run. That’s why they’re here, they’re all top notch talents. Both the boys and girls.

SLAM: Most definitely. Yeah, the girls have been killing it all weekend too. I have a very nerdy shooting question for you. I see you and Klay [Thompson] do this all the time. So depending on where your momentum is carrying you, going left, you guys will break and start to fade back to your right. Going right, you’ll carry all the way into your momentum, like, run into the shot. Why does that work?

SC: It’s something that you just drill and it just feels comfortable. Now I gotta break down why that is. I feel like… well a lot of it too is because the ball… for me, like, when you’re going to the left you’re most likely dribbling with your left hand. And so it’s really hard to take your last dribble and do a pick up–we’re getting really nerdy now–dribble the last ball, or your last dribble, pick it up and it’s coming back to the right hand at some point so that momentum almost slows your whole body down to a certain extent. And then to get power and all that you’re carrying that energy up as opposed to letting it carry you in that same direction. Conversely, on the right side if it’s the hard pound and the last dribble is with the right hand there’s not any energy going back this way cause you’re not going to throw it back over here then go that way and shoot. It’s just gonna be kinda up into the shot pocket. So you can kind of carry that energy with you a little bit easier, especially as a right-handed shooter. Because it’s all about flow, right? The ball is going to dictate where the flow and the energy is going. So going to the left is kind of coming back into your shot pocket so it’s going to slow your body down a little bit. To the right, it’s not really moving but up so your body is gonna carry it with you. And you just want to be in as much constant rhythm as possible while you’re shooting. That’s balance, I guess, in terms of mechanics.

SLAM: Which I’ve heard you talk about a million times. I’ve heard you talk about your feet a million times too. Why do you not hop on your shot anymore?

SC: I’m getting old.

SLAM: Is that the real answer? That’s for real?

SC: It’s just, uh… efficient, efficient movement. So, I think that’s really the best way to explain it. When you create space or however you’re doing it, the last thing you want to do is give up that space by unnecessary movements. So maybe just getting a little bit more efficient with getting off the ground quicker. You get deeper into your career, you’re not going to be as explosive as you once were. Even for me to say explosive, I’m not above the rim, but there’s an explosiveness in terms of short movements, quick change of pace, change of direction, all that type of stuff so, just being as efficient as possible.

SLAM: Yeah, it always bugs me out when people say you’re not athletic.

SC: There’s a lot of different definitions of that term. Athleticism, hand eye coordination, all that. I’m somewhere in there.

SLAM: Last night you got to give the kids the Curry 11 for the first time. I know you can’t share a
ton about it. What can you tell us about the Curry 11 at this moment?

SC: First off, just it being the 11th edition of your signature product is crazy, knowing
how long we’ve been on this journey. Feel like we’re continuing to get better with, not just the innovation behind the shoes and the technology we have in there, there’s more Flow which is something we’ve been doing since Curry 8. And so, we’ll continue to elevate that tech adding a couple layers on the upper that we’ll share a little bit more detail later, but it’s just the next edition of a product that has really helped me in terms of traction, in terms of change of direction and being able to have that good fit out there on the court. And then where I feel like we’ve developed in terms of the storytelling around the colorways and all that. That’s something that we want to share throughout this whole journey, so I’m looking forward to truly unveiling it come this fall.

SLAM: And is that something you can talk about, the story you gave the kids last night about being outside and loving nature?

SC: Yeah, I got a little bit of the Curry Camp swag on right now, but got to give them the
Curry 11 “Curry Camp” colorway that will be just exclusive for them as kind of a perk for being invited to this camp and this experience. But yeah, a lot of the outdoor theme, the outdoor colors, we told them we’re going camping so we wanted to bring that colorway story throughout all the products that we did for the camp this year and the one that they got it screams that. So I think they loved it.

The post Q+A: Stephen Curry on Breathing, Shooting and The Next Generation of Stars appeared first on SLAM.

For the older cousin of Houston Rockets guard Josh Christopher, Nicodemus, journaling has been a part of his routine ever since becoming the youngest strength and conditioning coach in the Power 5 with Tennessee at 23 years old. 

Having since founded his own wellness and lifestyle consulting agency while working with NBA athletes and C-suite executives, Christopher has been on a multi-year journey deciphering the effect of order and how journaling can lead to fulfillment. 

“Knowing that I’ve always had a love for helping people add value to their lives, I quickly came to realize that my role is to help people become the best version of themselves,” Christopher tells SLAM.

After seven years of research, self-reflection and scrawling 1,000s of pages of notes, Christopher now presents his first-ever book; Out Of Order.

Centered on the “7 Key Areas of Well-Being” Christopher leads the reader through 100-plus pages filled with contemplative questions and guided journaling exercises. However, the goal of achieving self-order isn’t awarded once you reach the back cover. Rather, the journey one takes throughout each chapter is the true takeaway. 

Garry and Nicodemus Christopher have held a passion for sports since a young age, but Nic knew early on that athletics wasn’t necessarily his gift. “But I appreciated the work ethic. I appreciated the skill and the talent behind the game,” he says.

Inseparable since their youth, the Christopher brothers both attended Baylor University with their eyes set on impacting the world through the healthcare industry. Garry was in school to become a neurologist while his younger brother Nic was eyeing a career as an anesthesiologist. Yet at the start of Nic’s junior year, his older brother came home and hung up the scrubs for resistance bands and gym shorts. 

“I’ll never forget, my brother came back to our apartment. And he said, ‘Bro, I don’t want to be a doctor anymore. I want to be a strength and conditioning coach.’ And I’m just like, You want to be a what?” Christopher remembers. 

“For both of us, we thought being doctors was the only vehicle of change to help people change their lives and to save lives. But you look up 20-plus years later, we realize now that there are so many different vehicles that you can use to impact and change lives. So that was our defining moment for us. And we haven’t looked back ever since.”

While Garry currently resides as the Director of Performance for TCU, Nic’s decade-long journey leading the weight room has taken him from Purdue to Tennessee to Cal and Missouri. 

Spending thousands of hours surrounded by plates, machines and student-athletes, the close-knit relationship between trainers and players was one Christopher thrived in. Although, the connection wasn’t instantaneous. 

Nic describes the first and biggest mistake in his newfound career field as being too invested in the analytics of his profession. Obsessively tracking calorie counts, reps and devising a different number of sets for each individual on the roster, Christopher realized he had neglected the young men he was empowered with uplifting.  

“I realized that I have a unique opportunity to meet these guys where they are in life. What you’re going through, I either was just going through or am going through it so we can just remove the veil and be transparent,” Christopher tells SLAM.

“I see the potential in you (them) to be a husband and a father. And once they knew that they could come to me on that type of time and have those types of conversations, when we got to the weight room and I’m like, ‘do four sets of six with a slow eccentric,’ it’s like ‘oh, I gotchu coach, it’s nothing.’”

Around 10 years ago Nic’s morning routine went something like this: wake up at 4:35 am, watch or read a devotional/sermon and then immediately journal his thoughts and experiences heading into the morning. 

The recurring routine and dedicated time with pen and paper quickly became his release. His everyday sounding board. And then, the swiftness of life sent him a hurdle.

While serving as the strength and conditioning coach for the Cal Berkley program, Nic’s grandmother—who lived in Arkansas—traveled to visit the family in LA. At the time, Nic was in the throws of the offseason, priding himself on being available at a moment’s notice for any member of the team. Knowing the best opportunity to catch his grandmother was that weekend, Nic instead stayed behind on campus fearing a player would inevitably hit him up to get into the gym. 

His grandmother passed away the following Monday.

“I’ve dealt with that regret for the longest time because I felt like I could have at least said goodbye or kissed her before she left, but I chose this profession. My identity was too caught up in what I was doing and it wasn’t based off of who I was created to be or who I was,” says Christopher.

Guilt and resentment for his decision permeated. But the experience additionally served as an informal wake-up call, harkening Christopher to the next purpose in his journey. 

“Life happens and it’s like an overflow of all these experiences and everything that had taken place,” Christopher tells SLAM. “And my cup was full to the point where I had to pour this somewhere. And it just came into my heart, write the book. I have to pour this stuff into these pages.”

After coming to the understanding that order was a prerequisite to peace, Christopher began analyzing completeness, wholeness and tranquility. For 40 days and 40 nights, he partook in the daily exercises that became the exoskeleton of the book. Coming out of the experience with a true understanding of what peace both looked and felt like, Nic began crafting the official beginnings of Out Of Order. 

“It was probably one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done in my life,” Christopher explains of writing the book. “Because of the introspection, the self-examination, the vulnerability that I had to have with myself, and then I had to present it to the world.”

The expedition towards holding a hardcover novel inscribed with his own name has been years in the making. And now that it’s here, he’s discovered the next throughline in his life that’s connecting him to his next purpose—helping others formulate chaos into fulfillment. 

Every chapter in Nic’s personal story has expanded his ability to add value to the lives of individuals. Whether that be Michael Porter Jr. in his lone season at Mizzou or leading pastors and Fortune 500 CEOs through exercises derived from the book, Christopher thrives in the space of wellbeing. 

The post Nicodemus Christopher’s New Book ‘Out of Order’ Looks to Impact the Youth appeared first on SLAM.

However, the Warriors will likely look to play with more intensity and focus on meeting their goal of making the NBA Finals again and defending their 2022 championship. That much is clear to four-time champion Klay Thompson (29 points), who noticed that Golden State “relaxed a bit more than we should have,”

“I think with Steph and [Andrew Wiggins] back, we probably relaxed a bit more than we should have,” Gy Thompson said, per ESPN. “We thought with them showing up; we’d just get the dub.”

Meanwhile, Curry and Wiggins are looking to regain their rhythm and swag. Chef Curry dropped 24 points on 8-22 shooting from the floor and 5-15 from beyond the arc. Wiggins contributed 10 points on 5-16 shooting and was noticeably looking to find that aggression and rhythm he had before he suffered his abductor strain and illness that took him out for over a month.

Curry said that he wasn’t thinking about his shoulder while he played and that he didn’t think his conditioning took much of a hit due to the 11 games he missed after suffering a shoulder issue on Dec. 14. He also believed that playing under a minute restriction made finding his rhythm back a little more complicated.

He noted that there was a level of pressure to play at a high level of play within a certain amount of time on the court. He tried to balance regaining his form while trying to play within the flow of the game and said that his first game back was “hit or miss” as he tried to knock the rust off and play within the speed of the game.

“It’s hit or miss with how much rust you will have and how close you can get to the speed of the game,” Curry said. “The first quarter, it felt good just to be out there, running with our guys. I felt like I got stronger as the game went on. In the fourth, the intensity of the game picked up. We were playing very desperately, trying to come back and make some plays. I felt like myself again.”

The Warriors were encouraged by their play in the fourth quarter when they outscored the Suns 34-27 as they climbed back into the game as Curry scored 14 points in the final frame. The two-time MVP hit three consecutive triples to give the Warriors some momentum, then Jordan Poole (27 points) hit a layup, the Dubs got a stop, and Poole hit a three-pointer to pull Golden State to within six after trailing by 27.

“I’m hoping that fourth quarter was the team that I have come to know and love and recognize,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “But we have to show in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter.”

At the halfway point of the season, Kerr and the Warriors hope they can consistently play as they did in the fourth quarter. They have another 41 games left in the season to see if that’s who they are or if this Jekyll and Hyde type of season is who they are.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Curry said. “Eventually, you have to do it, or else time runs out. We have 41 games to figure it out — or else we won’t.”

The post Stephen Curry on His Return to Play and Regaining His Rhythm appeared first on SLAM.

Just one play before, Klay Thompson (30 points on 11-12 shooting) tied the game up at 119-all with one second left on the clock. Bey responded with an off-balance triple to stun the Warriors.

The former Villanova Wildcat scored 17 points on 6-17 shooting from the field and 4-10 from beyond the arc, including his game-winner to sink Golden State. Bey also contributed three rebounds and two steals off the bench.

“It was tough, I don’t even remember I kind of blacked out a little bit,” Bey said, per ESPN. “I had one second, so I didn’t have that much time to think, so I had to shoot it, so I’m just grateful it went in.”

SADDIQ BEY. GAME WINNER.#TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/JiIYbiNKQI

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023

Bey has knocked down two game-winning three’s in his career, and both came in January. Bey hit an overtime game-winner to sink the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 1, 2022.

The post Watch: Saddiq Bey’s Buzzer-Beater Shock the Golden State Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

On Wednesday, Myers shared that Curry was evaluated New Year’s Weekend and that the two-time MVP didn’t suffer any “setbacks or anything like that.” Myers believes Curry can return by Golden States’ upcoming road trip, which begins Jan. 13 against the San Antonio Spurs.

“He’s going to get evaluated this weekend, and he’s working out on the court,” Myers told 95.7 The Game. “The two-week mark to evaluate him was this weekend, but there’s been no, at this point, setbacks or anything like that. So that would be — what, the first road game is on Friday; I think it’s San Antonio.

That would be a hope. I mean, that will be what we’ll be shooting for — He’s been, not contact, but out there doing all this stuff, and he looks like the same guy. He’s got a sleeve on his shoulder and his arm, but that would be the plan. We’ve got to see what he looks like this weekend.”

Curry suffered a left shoulder subluxation on Dec. 14 when the Warriors took on the Indiana Pacers. The injury knocked him out of Golden State’s last nine games. The Warriors have been able to go 6-3 without the only unanimous MVP in NBA history and are riding a five-game win streak capped by Klay Thompson’s season-high 54-point outing against the Toronto Raptors.

The post Bob Myers Reveals Stephen Curry Could Return as Soon as Next Week Against San Antonio appeared first on SLAM.

 The five-time All-Star showed he’s another step closer to reaching those peak performances after dropping 54 points on 21-39 shooting from the field, 10-21 from the three-point line, leading the Warriors to a 143-141 double-overtime against the Hawks.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Thompson said per ESPN. “There were some hard days for me when I didn’t know that this would be possible in real-time. I am just going to embrace the heck out of it.”

Klay in the Warriors 2-OT win!

54 PTS
7 REB
10 threes pic.twitter.com/CdOB2SqCaT

— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2023

The 54-point outing was his biggest scoring out since his career-best 60-point performance in three quarters on Dec. 5, 2016, against the Indiana Pacers. It was Thompson’s fourth career 50-point game and his seventh with at least 10 3s

“He just made shot after shot and play after play. He was incredible,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.

After a prime-time performance like that, Thompson’s confidence will likely be at an all-time high. It’s the type of performance that can also set up some great things in 2023. Great news for a team looking to reverse their fortunes and make a run for a higher seed in the playoffs. However, teammate Draymond Green doesn’t want Thompson to not place too much pressure on himself.

“You don’t have to be the same Klay that you once were before,” Green said. “When you understand that, and you buy into that, then you become the Klay you were before.”

“When you’re as competitive as he is when you’re as good as he is, it’s tough sometimes,” Green said. “For two years, everybody is doubting you. That same fire toward that doubt is what made you, Klay Thompson — you don’t just lose that. That is embedded in you. It’s good to see him settle down. He’s not chasing it anymore, and it’s falling right in his lap. When you are that good, that’s usually what happens.”

Fourth career 50-point game.
Klay Thompson balled out last night.

» https://t.co/ocDF2EHeJH pic.twitter.com/anzqUguZj1

— VoteDraymond4AllStar (@warriors) January 3, 2023

Thompson says he’s in a place now than at the start of the season. The 32-year-old sharpshooter told reporters that wanting to prove everyone wrong was a disservice to himself, and now he has to remind himself that playing for the Warriors “is a dream” and that he’s shifted his mindset to “having fun and playing hard.”

“I have to remind myself daily that [playing for the Warriors] is literally the dream. What matters most is having fun and playing hard. All the numbers, all the big nights will come as long as I do those two things.”

The Warriors and Klay Thompson will play the Pistons on Wednesday.

The post Steve Kerr Calls Klay Thompson ‘Incredible’ After 54-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State outlasted Memphis 123-119 due to Jordan Poole’s magical 32-point outing helping make Ja Morant’s 36-point effort mute. The win was highlighted by some heated jaw-jacking between the Warriors and Grizzlies, particularly between teammates Klay Thompson (24 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 dimes, two blocks, one steal) and Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks.

#NBAXmas was a vibe.@MichelobULTRA || Joy Cam pic.twitter.com/N4sPUkAExM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

At one point, Thompson hit a mid-range J from the free-throw line to put the Dubs up 16, and while he ran back to play defense, Brooks stumbled backward and fell. Replays showed Thompson leaning over Brooks and sticking his tongue out in Brooks’ face as he shuffled back to the other end of the court.

“Some good, old-fashioned trash talk,” Thompson said per ESPN. “It’s always fun to talk trash. We’ve been doing that since we were in middle school. You usually play your best, or you get frazzled. For me, it’s usually the former.”

Get hype, #DubNation pic.twitter.com/0Ao8iD1njD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Although the Warriors and Grizzlies may not call it a rivalry, it’s hard not to call it with all the evidence in front of us. The contention started after the Grizzlies outlasted the Warriors during the 2021 play-in tournament to get a first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz. The following year, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 4-2 in the second round of the Western Conference semifinals.

That playoff rematch lit the flames of a burgeoning rivalry as Green got ejected in Game 1 for a Flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke, and then he got elbowed in the eye during Game 2.

Brooks earned a one-game suspension for his role Gary Payton II missed extensive time after he fouled Payton hard on a fast break resulting in Payton suffering an elbow injury that knocked him out of 10 postseason games. The damage only seemed to stoke some flames as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Brooks out for violating an unwritten code.

From there, the second-round playoff series only got more heated and physical as Golden State tried to prove the old grizzled (no pun intended) vets had some juice left in them and could outlast the young and hungry Grizzlies. Once the series was over and Golden State marched on to win their fourth title in eight seasons, the Warriors, specifically Thompson and Green, took offense to Memphis talking trash and called them out for what they perceived to be disrespectful comments.

Way to bring the energy tonight, #DubNation

pic.twitter.com/pFXTGubWTj

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

After the championship parade, Green and Morant had a back-and-forth on Twitter, with both parties declaring their excitement for a primetime Christmas. The anticipation and hype did not fail as the Dubs and Grizzlies put on a show. However, the Grizzlies will have to wait a little longer to exact their revenge after losing on Sunday.

The post The Memphis-Golden State Rivalry Continued with ‘Trash Talk’ on Christmas Day appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it.

James Harden is Reportedly “Seriously Considering” Returning to Houston:

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, Harden is reportedly considering a reunion with the Rockets if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia as a free agent in July.

However, after the Sixers’ win over the Knicks on Christmas Day, Harden addressed the media and let them know how he really feels about being in Philly.

“I’m here, we’re playing very well, and I don’t know where that report came from,” Harden said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But I’m excited to be here, and we’re playing well. We’re continuing to get better.”

Meanwhile, Harden caught everyone’s attention with this colorful holiday fit. Hide y’all presents.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LeagueFits (@leaguefits)

Joel Embiid and Harden Combine to Score 64 Points against the Knicks:

The Beard (29 points and 13 dimes) and Joel Embiid (35 points) put up a combined 64 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists to help the 76ers extend their win streak to eight games with a 119-112 dub over the Knicks on Sunday.

The Sixers outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth and turned a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead late in the fourth quarter.

“It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around,” Harden said per ESPN. “Like, stick around, stick around, and then fourth quarter, you give yourself a chance.

64 PTS | 12 REB | 14 AST @JHarden13 & @JoelEmbiid‘s combined Christmas Day stat line. vote both for NBA All-Star: https://t.co/kNf5hhEIQx.

presented by @palottery pic.twitter.com/Lu2cQROE6c

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 25, 2022

Jayson Tatum Torches the Bucks For 41 Points while Jaylen Brown Takes Over:

Jayson Tatum posted 41 points, including a ferocious first-half yam over Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaylen Brown scored 29 points to help Boston (24-10) reclaim the top record in the League with a 139-118 win over the Bucks (22-11).

Boston grabbed a 100-86 lead after Tatum scored 20 points in the third quarter, and Brown brought the Celtics home with 13 points in the final frame; he also refused to back down after posting a screen that sent the Greek Freak to the ground. Brown and Antetokounmpo had a back-and-forth, but y’all know it’s only basketball. The players don’t take it seriously, and neither should basketball fans.

Boston gave Milwaukee their first three-game losing streak, while the Celtics have now won back-to-back contests after losing five out of six recent games.

HE CAUGHT ONE @jaytatum0 hammered it home in tonight’s @JetBlue Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZU6oCbvRB0

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 26, 2022

Jordan Poole Put Up a Dominate 32 Points to Lead Golden State Past Memphis:

Jordan Poole did what he had to do to play Grinch and ruin the Grizzlies’ Christmas after he dropped a team-high 32 points to lead the Warriors past Memphis on Sunday. Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks) and Klay Thompson (24 points on 8-25 shooting) also put up some solid performances. They played up the burgeoning rivalry they have with Memphis with some sublime shi*t talking toward Dillon Brooks as well.

“He knows that he can’t get a second one. He’s still a young player,” head coach Steve Kerr said per ESPN. “Jordan was fantastic tonight, and we needed his offensive firepower.”

Dray Jordan

» https://t.co/ocDF2EGGU9 pic.twitter.com/HL0YggMOBa

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Nikola Jokic Drops a Christmas Day Triple-Double Against the Suns:

Nikola Jokic (41 points, 15 boards, and 15 dimes) dropped his 83rd career triple-double and led the Nuggets to a 128-125 win over the Phoenix Suns. The two-time MVP recorded a 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist performance a week ago. It was the fourth 40-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist game in League history. Oscar Robertson (1961, 1962) accomplished it twice, and James Harden did it in 2016.

“Sick,” Aaron Gordon said of Jokic’s outing, per ESPN. “Those are video game numbers.”

Another MVP performance

41/15/15. Triple-Double 8⃣3⃣ pic.twitter.com/W5PNYlDFar

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

Jamal Murray (26 points, five rebounds, and five assists) forced overtime with a game-tying dunk, and Aaron Gordon put the exclamation point on the win with a poster over Landry Shamet.

“Yeah,” Gordon said. “Because of the time and score.”

Nuggets Nation BROUGHT THE ENERGY tonight. For that, we leave you with this

Goodnight, Wuggets Wation pic.twitter.com/WOYUm1twk7

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Elite Christmas Day Matchups and James Harden Addresses Reports of His Return to Houston appeared first on SLAM.

They’re also 1-5 on their latest trip, highlighted by back-to-back blowout losses to the Knicks (132-94) and Nets (143-113).

“You are what your record says you are,” Kerr said, per ESPN. “It was a bad road trip. We are 15-18, so we’re a below-.500 team, and we’ve got to find a way to reverse that.”

Steve Kerr: “Bad road trip. We are 15-18. We’re a below .500 team. Gotta figure out a way to reverse that.” pic.twitter.com/FdgK0TZH7O

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 22, 2022

The Warriors gave up a 29-point lead in the first quarter, the second-worst deficit in franchise history, and they scored 17 points, the second-fewest in an opening frame this season. The Dubs also allowed the Nets to score a Brooklyn-record 91 points in the first half, becoming the third time in League history to score 91 points through the first half.

The 40-point lead Brooklyn held over Golden State was also a franchise record. The point differential is also the largest halftime deficit by a defending champion in the history of the NBA.

“That first half, it was kind of a shock,” Draymond Green told ESPN.

One way the Warriors can address their struggles is by cutting down on turnovers. They turned the ball over 13 times in the first and finished the night with 21, with Brooklyn scoring 36 points off those miscues. Another would be picking up the energy and allowing it to help them play more organized fashion on both ends of the floor.

Those changes will likely have to come from Jordan Poole (13 points on 4-17 shooting, 1-11 from beyond the arc, and seven turnovers) and James Wiseman (30 points on 12-14 shooting in 27 minutes). That means Wiseman will likely have to continue to play at a consistently high level as he did on Wednesday. The Warriors can deal with Poole figuring out how to adjust to playing as a scouting report focus, but they likely need him to refind the magic he possessed last season.

“The simpler [he] plays, the easier shots [he] gets. It sounds like a bit of a paradox, but it’s been an issue here for us the past few games,” Kerr said. “The last couple of nights [he was] just trying way too hard.”

For now, the Warriors are stuck in a weird place while they figure out their win-and-develop-now ethos. For Green, that means Golden State must keep their cool over this stretch without Curry in the lineup. As well as Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green, and maintaining Klay Thompson for the long haul.

“You have to have that understanding because you don’t want to overreact,” Green told ESPN. “In saying that, the most important thing is always playing right; as long as you’re not making effort-related mistakes, you live with the results — we just have to understand where we are.”

The post Steve Kerr On the Golden State Warriors’ ‘Bad Road Trip’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, their 132-94 loss to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden can be chalked up as a mixed result as they never led and played without Stephen Curry for the third straight game since he went down with a shoulder injury on Dec. 14. Golden State never led after the Knicks opened the game with an 8-0 run and never looked back during a wire-twire-win that gave New York their eight straight win.

The Warriors made it as close as 35-33 in the first-half but the Knicks pulled away over time and entered halftime with a 69-56 lead.

“The Knicks are in a good groove right now. They totally outplayed us,” Kerr said per ESPN. “We sank tonight. We’re trying to hang in there and we will. Another game tomorrow.”

When Anthony Slater of The Athletic asked about the fourth quarter effort Kerr got from Jordan Poole (26 points), Moses Moody (11 points), Jonathan Kuminga (13 points, four rebounds, and four assists) James Wiseman (four points, three rebounds, one steal, two blocks), the nine-time champ said that Golden State’s young guys are “working their butts off” and that they have “to keep our energy and our spirit up” when “things don’t go well.”

Steve Kerr on the struggles from the younger portion of the roster tonight vs Knicks pic.twitter.com/6B5u1T5sj4

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 21, 2022

As the Warriors continue to mesh their maxamzie both their present and future lineups, they will have to see that Poole, Moody, Kuminga, Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins (when healthy) are capable of taking the torch Curry, KlayThompson, and Draymond Green lit and continue to build on the championship DNA and culture that’s led to four titles since 2015.

The post Steve Kerr on Young Players Keeping Their ‘Spirits Up’ During Tough Times appeared first on SLAM.

Five straight losses are detrimental to any franchise, but to some, it’s a learning curve to championship success.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been a contributor on four title teams in the last eight years, and within that time period, the Bay Area had to get accustomed to playing a majority of a season without their star players in Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.

The Golden State dynasty was struggling after missing the playoff two years in a row in 2020 and 2021, but the Warriors trusted their core to figure it out and find a way to win another title this past season, and they accomplished just that. Given Green’s veteran leadership, the former defensive player of the year shared advice on how to overcome the challenges, starting with their “commitment.”

“You start hearing noise about trades, and this guy shouldn’t be here, and that guy shouldn’t be here, but you have to stay committed to each other. You can’t let the outside noise dictate how you act or essentially your attitude towards the same or, more importantly, towards your teammates,” Green said per Sports Illustrated. “I think for us, you just always want to re-center yourself and re-center your focus to the game, and if you do that, the game rewards you.”

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A post shared by Golden State Warriors (@warriors)

The struggles for the Raptors have come in crucial areas of the floor. Thus far, the Raptors rank as the third-lowest three-point shooting team at 32.6 percent. Meanwhile, defensively, the group gives up the fifth most fast break points (15.6) and averages the lowest defensive rebounds across the League (30.1).

There’s plenty to like for the Raptors as well, as they currently lead the League in steals at 9.6 per game, but capitalizing off those forced turnovers hasn’t been on full display as of yet.

“I don’t think that we haven’t shown that this group of guys can play the way we want to play,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

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A post shared by Toronto Raptors (@raptors)

There are still a lot of games left to do in the season, but the turning point for the Raptors, as Green eluded to, is the team sticking through the thick and the thin of a losing stretch.

The circling trade rumors can’t become a distraction in the locker room if the team hopes to find post-season success; therefore, it’s up to the championship pedigree of the Raptors veterans to invoke a mindset to their young talent.

“We gotta play better; that’s the main thing,” Pascal Siakam said. “We[‘ve] got to get wins, and we[‘ve] got to figure out a way to get a win and then kind of build on it. Yeah, it’s hard for me to try to analyze everybody, but just us, we have to get a win.”

The post Draymond Green to the Struggling Raptors: ‘Stay Committed to Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State's Steph Curry is expected to miss "a few weeks" with his left shoulder injury, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2022

Stephen Curry will undergo MRI testing on his left shoulder while Golden State is in Philidelphia on Thursday. Curry injured his left shoulder during Golden State’s 125-119 loss against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

The two-time MVP suffered the injury late in the third quarter after attempting to strip the ball from Pacers center Jalen Smith who was going up for a layup deep in the paint. Chef Curry immediately grabbed his shoulder and held it as he went down the court. The injury seemed worrisome, and the Warriors subsequently called a timeout so Curry could be examined in the locker room by Dubs head trainer Rick Celebrini.

Curry was ruled out of playing just moments later and was seen with ice wrapped around his ailing left shoulder postgame.

“I checked in with [Curry] briefly but haven’t had a chance to go into detail,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said per ESPN. “Steph is always a guy with a great outlook on life, so he’s in good spirits.”

Curry will get an MRI tomorrow, Kerr says. Kerr checked in with Curry briefly postgame, said he was in good spirits.

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) December 15, 2022

When he suffered the injury, Curry was primed to guide the Warriors to a dramatic finish after scoring 38 points on 1–19 shooting from the floor, knocking down five triples, and was 11-11 from the free-throw line through the first 34 minutes of the game. He scored half of Golden States’ first-half points, 27, and nearly half of the Warriors’ total points (80) when he went down with a shoulder injury.

“He was just stunning,” Kerr said. “He put us on his shoulders in the minutes he was out there. Generating so much offense, getting to the line, getting the ball to other people. He was brilliant.

Beast Mode

: @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/5kWkbsG7oB

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 15, 2022

The Warriors are 67-133 all-time without Curry in the lineup. Golden State may struggle without the greatest shooter of all time during a season where they’ve struggled to combine their youth movement with their veteran core led by Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the rest of their “foundational six.”

The post REPORT: Stephen Curry Expected to Miss ‘A Few Weeks’ Due to Shoulder Injury appeared first on SLAM.

However, the two threes that Thompson hit moved him into some very elite NBA company. Coming off a recent game where he had just moved up to 13th in the NBA’s all-time made three-pointers list, Thompson is also the 13th NBA player ever to make 2,000 career three-pointers.

Thompson now joins Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, James Harden, Kyle Korver, Vince Carter, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry, and Paul Pierce as the only NBA players ever to accomplish such a milestone.

Becoming a part of such an elite group of sharpshooters must feel great to Thompson after battling his way back to form after suffering an Achilles injury in 2020 after just returning from an ACL injury in 2019.

This 2023 season has been sort of a “revenge tour” for Thompson, as he has trying to block out the noise and prove to the doubters that he’s still got it. Admittedly Thompson has come out and said that comments about his game “slipping” have hurt, but he knows that he can’t please everybody.

While it is a great career moment for Thompson, he and the Warriors look to get back on the winning track Thursday against the Indiana Pacers.

The post Klay Thompson Becomes the 13th NBA Player to Knock Down 2K Threes appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it.

Golden State proves (AGAIN) that championship DNA matters:

Klay Thompson scored 34 points, and Stephen Curry added 32 on six triples to help Golden State beat the League-best Boston Celtics, 123-107, on Saturday. Thompson scored 12 of 34 in the first quarter and went into halftime with 24. The win over Boston came despite Jaylen Brown (31 points and nine rebounds) cutting Boston’s 17-point deficit to seven points after scoring five straight midway through the fourth quarter.

However, the Celtics weren’t able to capitalize. They missed their final seven shots and managed to score just four more points after Brown’s flurry of buckets. Boston has been held to less than 110 points just five times after Saturday. The Warriors held Boston’s League-best offense to 43.7 percent shooting, including 12-40 from the three-point line.

It was the sixth time Boston was held below 45 percent shooting this season and the sixth time there were limited to 12 made three-pointers. Boston’s 17 assists were tired of a season-low effort.

“I just thought we competed and did a really good job defensively, tried to make things as tough as possible for them. And we gutted it out,” Steve Kerr said, per The Athletic. “I thought we needed a game like that. We’ve been a little bit stuck in the mud. And it feels like we’ve gotten better over the last few weeks but not a whole lot to show for it. So this was an important win for us.”

Some wins mean more.

Stephen: 32 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast
Klay: 34 pts, 5 reb, 2 stl

(via @nba) pic.twitter.com/7ggWupi8x6

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 11, 2022

Don’t forget about MVP threat Joel HIMbiid:

Joel Embiid is a DAWG, and don’t you forget it. The five-time All-Star dropped 53 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists to lead the 76ers to a 131-113 win over the Hornets. Embiid is the third 76er to post multiple 50-point games in the same since Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain. It’s also the 30th game Embiid secured a 40-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Embiid scored 15 of his 28 first-half points over the final three minutes of the second half. Wells Fargo Arena showered Embiid with MVP chants as he became the first player in the NBA this season to score 50+ points after his League-best 59-point performance against Utah on Nov. 13.

“We have a saying that you have to feed the hot hand,” Embiid said, per ESPN. “You got to keep feeding them until the defense stops it once or twice or three times in that situation. I just kept scoring, and they just kept giving me the ball.”

53 PTS | 12 REB | 3 AST

Joel HIMbiid.

presented by @palottery pic.twitter.com/4qgsrvXcd3

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 12, 2022

Times may change, but one thing remains true: D.C will always love John Wall:

An emotional John Wall received the standing ovation from Wizards fans that he expected during the offseason. The city’s favorite point guard returned to Capital One Center for the first time as a visiting player and posted 13 points, three assists, and two steals to help the Clippers win 114-107.

JOHN WALL is really like that pic.twitter.com/g2lSBKZ0he

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 11, 2022

The highlight moment of the night came when Wall hit a signature pull-up from mid-range. After Wall dropped the jumper, he yelled out that the nation’s capital is “still my city.” Although the former No. 1 overall pick said he wouldn’t say goodbye to D.C., he was happy the city showered him with love as their favorite son finally came home.

“This is something I’ve been waiting for four years,” Wall said per ESPN. “The first time I got traded, I came back with Houston; it was COVID, so you couldn’t be here. Then last year, I wasn’t playing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to appreciate it and be here, and get the love that I think I deserved. I feel like I got my flowers.”

John Wall on ‘Still My City’

“In that moment and electrifying the crowd. That’s what I’ve been doing for a lot of years in my career when I was here…. To see the crowd stand up, I’m like, ‘damn I might feel like I’m still in a Wizards jersey now.’ It was a dope moment for me.” pic.twitter.com/GuAcxqEURk

— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) December 11, 2022

Victor Wembanyama continues to solidify his spot as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft:

SLAM 240 cover star Victor Wembanyama is a force to be reckoned with, and the NBA is beyond ready to see him dominate in the States. The 18-year-old superstar has an eight-foot wingspan capable of blocking everything in sight and a deadly jumper that makes him uniquely equipped to thrive in today’s NBA.

This weekend, Wembanyama posted 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals against Monaco. Despite the strong outing, Metropolitan 93 lost 95-82; their next game will be on Dec. 17 against Paris Basketball.

Wemby in action for @Metropolitans92 today:@vicw_32: 27 PTS, 11 REB, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/ep7cc4etFd

— NBA (@NBA) December 11, 2022

Brittney Griner set to announce her future plans soon:

Brittney Griner is back in the States and has no immediate plans to leave Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, according to her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas. Colas told ESPN that Griner recently put herself through a light contest, with her first shot being a dunk. Griner will reportedly release a statement sometime this week, per Colas.

Colas revealed Griner isn’t ready to say when or if she plans to resume her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury.

“If she wants to play, it will be for her to share. She has the holidays to rest and decide what’s next without any pressure,” Colas said. “She’s doing really, really well. She seems to have endured this in pretty incredible ways.”

The post NBA Weekend Recap: the Warriors Are Still Dangerous While D.C. Still Loves John Wall appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry delivered another brilliant Finals performance, this time against the Boston Celtics, with his typical distance shooting and desire to get his teammates involved in the flow of the offense. Although Curry had solidified his legacy, it couldn’t have been done without the contribution of Andrew Wiggins.

In that series against the Celtics, Wiggins made his case for Finals MVP by shutting down the opposing superstar in Jayson Tatum and being the team’s second-best scorer at 18.3 points a game. He even led the team in rebounding with an 8.8 average and blocks with 1.5, ahead of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.

The 2014 first overall pick had himself a series that cemented his name into NBA history, but in their title defense season, a rematch with the Celtics at Chase Center will feature Wiggins on the bench due to a right adductor strain, according to head coach Steve Kerr.

It's a bird.
It's a plane.
It's Andrew Wiggins! pic.twitter.com/DCpMYWfLBT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 28, 2022

Wiggins had missed the last two games resulting in losses for the Warriors, but before his absence, in a win against the Houston Rockets, the forward dropped 36 points in the 34 minutes played. He went 14-19 from the field while shooting 80 percent from three (8-10), showcasing his improvement as an offensive threat once more.

Klay Thompson, the usual Robin to Curry as Batman, has struggled to get to form this season, averaging 18.9 points on the lowest field goal percentage shooting of his career at 39.6 percent. However, Thompson has found his rhythm lately, scoring 20+ points in five of his last seven games. With Wiggins sitting out this primetime matchup, Thompson will have to carry just a little more weight to make up for that missing production.

In Tatum and Jaylen Brown‘s revenge tour, the duo is currently averaging over 25 points each and have led the Celtics’ best record in the NBA at 21-5. The Finals rematch is shaping up to be completely different than last season after the Celtics added another scoring talent in Malcolm Brogdon, and interim coach Joe Mazzulla has created a League-leading 119.9 offensive rating.

The Warriors will have to find some defensive answers to figure out against the Celtics, but Kerr is “hopeful” that two of his four-time champions will be able to suit up, in Green and Curry. Dub Nation will undoubtedly miss what Wiggins can bring to the table, being one of the best two-way players in the game, but there should be no doubt in an NBA fan’s mind that the dynamic Warriors can find a way to steal a victory.

The post Andrew Wiggins to Miss Finals Rematch Between Warriors and Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

The coolest MFer in the NBA scored 28 points on 8-16 from three, reaching 13,000 career points and catapulting himself into the No. 13 spot on the all-time made 3-pointers list. Thompson passed Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki with a total of 1,989 threes. 

“Grew up loving both those guys, especially Dirk because he’s a shooter and JK, just as a baller, Bay legend,” Thompson told reporters per Yahoo. “So yeah, it means a lot to me. I don’t take that for granted. Two of the all-time greats right there, so that means a lot to me.”

After missing consecutive seasons with a torn Achilles and ACL, the Golden State guard has been vocal about how his appreciation of the game has grown. Fellow Splash Bro and all-time made three-pointer king Stephen Curry echoed Thompson and expressed his hope that more people stop to appreciate the milestone.

Rather than taking Thompson’s shooting for granted and calling this moment just “a matter of time,” Curry wants fans to understand that “just being able to play these games after what he’s been through is amazing and something that you shouldn’t just gloss over,” Curry hopes Thompson continues to climb up the list.

“There will be a lot of respect for him as a shooter, him as a clutch guy, to knock it down no matter where he’s at. He set a high standard for what shooting the basketball is in today’s game.”

Let’s enjoy and appreciate Thompson’s milestone with a few clips of shooting beauty:

The post Lucky 13’s: Klay Thompson Climbs Up All-Time Made Three-Pointers List in Warriors Loss appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI: 

Most of the fireworks on Friday night happened in Houston in an absolute shoot-out between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for 83 points, but it wasn’t enough. After leading by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, Atlanta squandered the lead, and the Rockets surged late to capture their fourth win of the season, 128-122.

Despite Murray scoring a career-high 39 points and making a career-high eight threes, the Hawks couldn’t get the job done. A big reason for this was their performance on the boards in the absence of Clint Capela, who was out due to dental pain. Houston outrebounded Atlanta 59-28. This included a 22-6 drubbing on the offensive boards and a 37-22 advantage on the defensive boards.

Most of the headlines after the game were about the aftermath of a third-quarter scrum between each team’s respective backcourt. Young and Murray did plenty of showboating on the way to scoring a combined 83 points, and you get the sense that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t like it one bit. Green and Porter took to Instagram to mock Young following the game. Green waved goodbye to the Hawks after their 18-point fourth quarter. 

Ja Morant messed around and dropped a triple-double in Madison Square Garden, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 dimes. He’s been highly productive during Desmond Bane, who suffered a sprained big toe injury on Nov. 15 and won’t be back for at least another week.

Postgame, Morant credited New York Knicks point guard and Chicago/Memphis legend Derrick Rose for paving the way for hyper-athletic guards by saying; 

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Klay Thompson was off to a rough start on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season, but he’s beginning to get on track. He shot 61.5 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State scored 47 points in the first quarter and never really looked back. They had crisp offensive execution the entire game. 

The Boston Celtics continued their winning ways. They have won 12 of their last 13 games. They are a League-best 16-4 on the season. Jaylen Brown had 36 points in their most recent win sans Jayson Tatum against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics are poised for a return to the NBA Finals if they keep playing the way they’re playing. 

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the Brooklyn Nets are now only a single game under .500 following their 111-97 win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Seth Curry was a big factor in the win against his former squad, with 29 points on 11-15 shooting. 

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind and is turning some heads. Fox has been shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field, helping him average 25.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

Fox has the Kings sitting in sixth place in a jammed Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Fox’s play has been so good that this past weekend, he inked a deal with one of the biggest and most well-known sports agencies in basketball Klutch Sports. For Sacramento, Fox’s recent play and lead role in the Kings’ resurgence could be just what the team needs to end their 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have the talent and youth to be very disruptive if given a postseason opportunity. The team’s additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk (in addition to Fox’s play) have been a great fit. Hopefully, Fox and the team can continue this momentum.

Over the weekend, the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in their last four games. During the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Russell Westbrook was going up for a layup after previously grabbing a rebound and was fouled on the way up by Spurs center Zach Collins. When Westbrook rose up from the ground heated from the foul, you could see that he had a cut and was visibly bleeding from his forehead.

The two teams got together for what seemed like a couple of seconds after the foul, but everyone was calmly escorted to their respective benches. Westbrook, who was fuming for a good reason, was taken away by LeBron James, who quickly compressed Westbrook’s head wound with a towel and walked him over to the bench to be further examined by the Lakers team doctors.

Once the situation calmed down, a Flagrant 2 foul was given the Collins, and a tech was given to Westbrook. Postgame, James commented on the altercation, saying;

“I saw where the cut was immediately. It was just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don’t let it continue to go. Before we became teammates, we’ve always been like brothers and cool and things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. We were just trying to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench.”

Miami center Bam Adebayo has had a quiet yet phenomenal stretch over the Heat’s last six games averaging 25.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. However, in Adebayo’s last two games, he has scored over 30 points and has been a key contributor toward the end of games on both the defensive and offensive sides.

The Heat are currently on a three-game win streak led by Adebayo’s diverse and consistent play, and the team looks to carry that momentum into their Wednesday matchup with the 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

Ja Morant’s father asked for his son’s jersey for the first time in Morant’s career. Morant stated that it was “special” for him to get a triple-double in the Garden and that it was a place that he always had a special feeling for.

Morant admitted after Sunday’s game that MSG was special for him to have a triple-double since it was a place he watched in so many games on television as a kid — which was why his father made the unusual request for his jersey.

“It’s just the bright lights, man,” Morant told ESPN post-game. “Having a triple-double in the Garden is crazy. Growing up actually watching teams come here and play, watching the Knicks play — everybody loves the Garden. We really called it the bright lights. Everybody is watching. So for me to be able to go out and play like I played tonight was big-time for me.”

The post ICYMI: We Got You Covered With Thanksgiving Weekend News appeared first on SLAM.

Wiseman hasn’t been the pivotal factor to the aging Dubs lineup as head coach Steve Kerr would’ve hoped for. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green nearing the end of their prime years, Kerr’s response was to send Wiseman down to the G League to “get more reps” in the G-League.

“Every player needs a foundation,” said Kerr, per NBC Sports, on how Wiseman jumpstarts his true potential. “but when you have a guy who missed all of that time with the circumstances and hasn’t been able to really build that foundation, you have to try and do the right thing to help him get going. This is what we’re thinking.”

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A post shared by NBA G League (@nbagleague)

The Warriors have put their young talent in circumstances where they have to prove themselves individually, and the Wiseman project rides the same boat, even after a two-year absence.

Kerr suggests that a defense’s attention on the lottery pick will help expose Wiseman to a brighter offensive play style.

“I think it’s just all part of natural evolution of a young player who doesn’t have much experience, who happened to come into the league as the pandemic started and then missed a year-and-a-half with an injury. That’s it; that’s the bottom line.

“Practice is the big thing,” Kerr said. “When you get individualized attention like the guys do in the G League, it’s easier to make more progress, I think, rather than the stops and starts that happen during the NBA season when you’re not in the rotation.”

It’s inevitable that the Warriors will move on from their Big Three that has them four championships. However, good franchises build toward the future to keep the motions of title contention. Kerr and Golden State are making the proper adjustment towards making Wiseman a dominant presence as he was once projected to be.

The post Steve Kerr Won’t Rush James Wiseman Back: ‘Every Player Needs a Foundation’ appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI:

Stephen Curry dropped an impressive 33 points and a season-high 15 assists (one shy of his career-high) on 11-12 shooting from the field, 7-14 from long distance. Curry hit the below triple to give the Warriors an insurmountable nine-point lead and gave the Toyota Center his signature GTS celebration.

“I surprised myself with that shot,” Curry said, per ESPN. “Me and Draymond put our hands above our heads like we really won something, kind of making fun of ourselves for our slow start.”

Lol Stephen really different. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/hFcJv1N1F1

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 21, 2022

Anthony Davis became the Laker in franchise history to record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in three consecutive games, joining Elgin Baylor (17 streaks) and Shaquille O’Neale (two streaks). The Lakers also secured their fifth win of the season after dispatching the Spurs 123-92.

“AD, he has to be the focal point,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, per ESPN. “He has to spearhead the charge. That’s the way we’re built. He’s embraced it. When Bron gets back, if AD can sustain that level, we’re going to be as good as our preparation makes us.”

@AntDavis23 put up another MONSTER double-double in the @Lakers win!

30 PTS | 18 REB | 3 STL pic.twitter.com/0seK32EUc2

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

Trae Young (33 points and 12 assists) and AJ Griffin (17 points and five board) executed one of the more creative game-winning buckets in recent memory with this ally-oop game-winner to beat the Toronto Raptors on Sunday 124-122.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Griffin said, per ESPN. “I had a feeling they were going to pressure up. I saw it and broke early. I said, ‘I’ll just sneak up behind them.’ That’s exactly what happened.”

This is one of the best ran plays to win the game I’ve seen in a minute. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/af4bUCchaL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Anthony Edwards dropped a stunning 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a 112-109 win over the 76ers. The three-point win is Minnesota’s third consecutive.

“We took a lot of bad shots, I definitely did, but we got the win, though,” Edwards said of a 7-of-21 effort.

Anthony Edwards vs Philly last night:

25 points
5 rebounds
5 assists.

Too good. (via @Timberwolves) pic.twitter.com/oHZAJE44Bn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Bol Bol posted 22 points, 11 boards, and two blocks during Orlando’s 114-113 loss to the Pacers on Saturday. During the second quarter, Bol went into his bag tricks to score a tough layup over Pacers defensive anchor Myles Turner.

How do you even stop this? (via @OrlandoMagic) pic.twitter.com/EXIdRfJfAH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Quote of the Weekend

Klay Thompson pulled up to Houston with some bad intentions after dropping a season-high 41 points on 10 triples to help Golden State secure their first road game of the season. The Warriors lost eight road games in a row heading into Sunday’s contest, a first during the most successful era in franchise history.

Thompson exorcised some demons hanging around during a slow start to the season that has led to many around the League saying Thompson’s best days are behind him. On Sunday, he proved that wrong and let it be known that “it’s only up from here.”

“It feels amazing. I’m hard on myself, so I’ve been wanting one of these. And to get one and kind of open the floodgates, it’s only up from here. I promise you,” Thompson said in his postgame interview. “I finally feel like myself. My legs feel great. I’m cutting to the rim, taking great shots, and I’m just excited for what’s to come. Man, I’m not gonna lie, guys, that felt amazing. Wow. I don’t care if it’s a mid-November game. That felt great.

@KlayThompson WENT WILD in the @warriors win! He went off for 20 PTS in Q1 on his way to a season-high 41 PTS and 10 triples! #DubNation

41 PTS
10 3PM (10-13) pic.twitter.com/qHWVlFTE9d

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

The post ICYMI: Here’s What Happened Across the League Over the Weekend appeared first on SLAM.

The defending champs have heard all the noise, and last night, one player, in particular, stepped up and gave us an offensive performance for the ages. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson had a vintage shooting performance last night versus the Houston Rockets on the road.

Thompson dropped 41 points on 14-23 shooting from the field, which included 10 threes! It was an absolutely unconscious offensive performance, the likes of which many basketball fans have missed from him. Not only was this a huge win and boost for Thompson’s confidence, but his supernova night helped to snap Golden State’s eight-game road losing streak.

Thompson has had to overcome some major injuries over the past few NBA seasons, from a torn Achilles and ACL. So when hearing that, some people thought his game was slipping coming back this season after fighting for two seasons to get back hurt.

In a postgame interview with CBS Sports following the Warriors’ win, Thompson had this to say about his night:

“It feels amazing. I’m hard on myself, so I’ve been wanting one of these. And to get one and kind of open the floodgates, it’s only up from here. I promise you,” Thompson said in his postgame interview. “I finally feel like myself. My legs feel great. I’m cutting to the rim, taking great shots, and I’m just excited for what’s to come. Man, I’m not gonna lie, guys, that felt amazing. Wow. I don’t care if it’s a mid-November game. That felt great.”

Shout out to Klay Thompson, a true warrior; the game has missed you!

The post Klay Thompson’s Big Night Helps Golden State Secure Their First Road Win appeared first on SLAM.

The 2022-23 campaign was supposed to be a referendum on the Warriors successfully fulfilling their dual timeline of focusing on winning now while developing for the future after letting several key veterans walk away in free agency. The results early on feature the Warriors playing less than stellar on defense and their bench play struggling to maintain the leads that the starters built.

The unexpected losses come despite Stephen Curry playing up to his usual superstardom. Furthermore, there is no reason to write off the Warriors dynasty just yet. Especially when a defensive anchor like Green plays with all-time great shooters in Curry and Klay Thompson.

During the first 14 games out of the 82 game-season, Green believes the struggles couldn’t come at a better time, but the learning curve (through the wins and losses) must be addressed because of the difficulty in the profession.

“You’d rather have them sooner rather than later,” said Green to The Athletic on the Warrior’s unexpected losses. “But in saying that, to build what we’re trying to build, we do understand that it takes time. —We’ve been in this position before, where we’ve had struggles and things that we needed to work on and that we had to fix.”

Defense Offense pic.twitter.com/Ngr6zxOyQh

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

Outside of the MVP-caliber play of Curry, the Warriors haven’t played to their’ Strengths in Numbers.’ The team’s leading rebounder, Kevon Looney, is averaging 6.9 rebounds a game, and as a team, they’re the 7th worst in the League in that category. Not to mention, they’re averaging the sixth most turnovers (15.7), and their five-time All-Star in Thompson has struggled to find his shooter’s touch.

Is age starting to be a factor for the Dubs? Head coach Steve Kerr indicated that was a possibility.

“We know this isn’t going forever,” said Kerr. “This could be the last year; maybe next year is the last year. We’re in the final stages. We know that.”

Basketball is a beautiful game.

@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/XumncvBDX9

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

The Warriors are currently four games behind the Western Conference’s top seed. Although the playoff picture isn’t the current thought of the team, Green uses the record of his rival opponents to motivate the group towards reaching the throne they have been accustomed to seeing in four of the last seven years.

“In the West, I was looking at the other day, and it’s like no one has stood out,” said Green. “It’s right there for us. If we get ourselves together, which we will, it’s right there for us.”

The post Draymond Green On Having Golden State Struggle ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’ appeared first on SLAM.

The other half of the legendary Splash Bros has been going through a tough start to begin the season. However, Thompson believes that that shouldn’t discredit the four championships he’s contributed to the team and his legacy as one of the greatest shooters of all time.

11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
Grew up in the 11th house on 11 Lane
K is the 11th letter in the alphabet
Wears number 11

11.11 || @KlayThompson pic.twitter.com/OzZTyxSEEf

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2022

He’s currently averaging the lowest points per game since his rookie season (12.5) at 14.7. The 20 points per night that NBA fans are accustomed to seeing for years has come in the way of his red-hot three-point shooting or his point totals at the foul line. This season, however, Thompson is shooting career lows in both statistical categories; his three-point percentage currently rides at 33 percent, while his free throw shooting takes a significant drop to 75 percent.

Doubters will have a field day with numbers like this, but there’s plenty of hoop action for Thompson to redeem where his strengths are.

“You just can’t please everybody,” Thompson said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “But for myself individually, it’s about rediscovering that form of efficiency and that two-way play that made me great. And I feel like I’m well on my way there.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Thompson plans on shutting the critics down. On Jan. 9, when he returned to action after two seasons missed due to a torn Achilles and ACL, Thompson dropped 14 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, showing promise that the injury did not hold him back. The five-time All-Star played a pivotal role in Golden State advancing to their sixth NBA Finals since 2015.

The Warriors ultimately won the 2022 NBA Finals after beating the Celtics in six games. Despite winning his fourth title after an arduous journey just to get back to the hardwood sanctuary, Thompson believes that his injuries weren’t accounted for enough in their title victory.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I feel like I deserve more credit for battling through all that injury s—,” said Thompson. “I helped a team win a championship last year, and people still want to discredit what you do.”

An 82-game season has its ways of bringing the lows of a player, but for Thompson, his Hall-of-Fame career can be a testament to how quickly he can flip the script on his struggles. In doing so, the Dubs may be competing in mid-June once more for a back-to-back title, solidifying the greatest dynasty of the new generation.

“On the bright side, I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” said Thompson. “I have no doubt in my mind I’ll get back to form; I was there last year. We won a championship – The proof is in the pudding. But there’s one more thing I’ll say: You can’t take away the hardware.”

The post Klay Thompson Addresses the Latest Backlash Towards Him and the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Despite the alarming losses and their incomplete defensive performances thus far, Steve Kerr isn’t pushing the panic button just yet.

“There are times in the NBA season when things can go off the rails a little bit,” Kerr said, per ESPN. “A big part of being a great team, being a solid organization, is just understanding how to work through that.”

Last season, the Warriors had a 2-9 slump that stretched from February to March, but they went on to win the championship a few months later. Things change quickly in the NBA. 

Draymond Green said a few days ago that the Warriors can’t fix all their problems right now, but they need to zero in on their biggest ones. At the moment, the biggest problem is the defense. The Warriors rank 25th in the NBA in points per shot allowed in transition and 23rd in field goal percentage allowed in transition, according to Second Spectrum tracking. Last season, they allowed the lowest field goal percentage in transition.

Golden State is also 24th in defensive rebounding after being sixth last year.

The Warriors Dynasty has had its fair share of ups and downs (mainly ups), but it is reasonable to surmise that they will bounce back and reclaim their excellence. 

“We just need to bring more of a sense of urgency,” Thompson said. “We had a long run last year, but 2022 is over. It’s time to kick into high gear and play that championship level of basketball that we’re used to. I fully expect us to do that.”

The Warriors, just like every other NBA team, will play tonight and get a chance to end their losing streak. 

The post Steve Kerr Believes the Warriors Will Bounce Back From 5-Game Losing Streak appeared first on SLAM.

The one thing that got the legendary shooter out of character were some recent comments Charles Barkley made suggesting Thompson’s game was “slipping” despite it being less than a year since he returned from a torn achilles. Unprompted, Thompson addressed those critics after the Warriors beat the Miami Heat, 123-110, on Thursday night.

“I’ve got one thing to say,” Thompson said. “So, it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform that he has, says you’re not the same player prior to the injuries you had. It’s like ‘No, duh, man.’ Consecutive years, like. I tore my ACL and Achilles in consecutive years and still helped the team win a championship. It hurt hearing that because I put so much freaking effort to get back to this point. It’s hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.

“I played 55, 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. To hear someone say ‘Oh, he’s not the same player as he was prior to the injuries.’ Like, duh. Who goes through that and comes back…I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that. But you know, I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m just going to keep going and I’m going to have a great year. You can bet on that.”

Thompson cont.: "I played 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. Who goes through something like that and comes back — it just hurt my heart. But I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me." https://t.co/VnhRTy7atz

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

Barkley’s comments came after Thompson was ejected for the first time in his career during the third quarter of a blowout loss to the up-and-coming Phoenix Suns. Thompson and Devin Booker were jaw-jacking during a tension-filled third quarter that featured the Suns and Warriors drawing a record-tying seven technical fouls in one quarter.

During halftime of the nationally televised Warriors-Suns game, Barkley suggested that Thompson and Draymond Green are “slipping” and suggeseted that “Father Time is knocking on the door of a couple of those guys.” The comments come during a time when Coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors medical staff placed the four-time champs on a minute restriction to start the season.

On Tuesday, Thompson responded with season-high numbers nearly across the stat sheet. The five-time All-Star posted 19 points on 6-19 shooting from the field and 5-14 shooting from beyond the arc in 29 minutes, all season-high marks for Thompson.

“It’s so great and it’s a huge building block for me” Thompson said about his workload. “It’s the best I’ve feld conditioning-wise.”

Thompson on playing a season-high 29 minutes: "It's so great and it's a huge building block for me. It's the best I've felt conditioning-wise."

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

When Stephen Curry was asked about Thompson’s postgame reponse, he noted that his Splash Brother was in a good mood all day long, but believes that Barkley’s remarks fueled Thompson to put on his 19-point performance.

“The comments are part of our success, like you’re always going to be in a spotlight and people care about how you’re playing and care to comment positively or negatively because they know that will move the needle,” Curry told reporters after the win Thursday. “And when you say certain names, people are going to pay attention. But it’s interesting because certain guys forget what their careers looked like on the back end. So you can kind of cast and throw those stones but Klay’s still in here, like you said, helping us win a championship after the two hellish years that he had.

“And now, it’s just balancing, for him, the expectations of what he was before the injuries and what he can get back to, all the while maintaining his impact on winning. I’m sure he’s comparing to the stat lines and percentages and all that, but I think I heard coach [Steve Kerr] talk about it earlier. He’s gone through this, even before the injuries, where slow starts don’t really hold him down, don’t kill his confidence. But when you come off a championship, you have such a hunger and a desire to get back to what he wants to be personally. And he’s going to get there. It’s just a matter of sticking with the program, the time that he puts in. His competitive fire that comes out every single night. And he’s going to make shots. We’re not worried about that. It’s a long season.”

Thompson, Green, and the Warriors will have another chance to dispute Barkley’s observations when they take on the Charlotte Hornets to start a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.

The post Klay Thompson ‘Hurt Hearing’ Comments That His Game Is ‘Slipping’ appeared first on SLAM.

There is nothing like a regular season NBA game with a playoff atmosphere, and basketball fans watching on television and in attendance got a real treat watching these two teams go at it so early in the season.

With the Warriors coming off yet another impressive championship run and a young seasoned Suns team on the rise knocking at the door trying to get back to the Finals, things got a bit heated between the two teams.

Can’t. Be. Stopped. @DevinBook with his 3rd straight 30-point game! pic.twitter.com/bFQdtuNsMC

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 26, 2022

In the third quarter, Warriors legend Klay Thompson was ejected for the first time in his professional career after picking up two quick technical fouls. These techs were given after Thompson was seen visibly taunting the Sun’s bench and jawing back and forth with Suns guard Devin Booker.

In that third quarter alone, a record-tying seven technical fouls were given out between both teams in one quarter. Postgame, Stephen Curry had the following to say per ESPN in regard to Thompson getting tossed.

“After he got thrown out, he had a lot more to say, which I love,” Curry said. “The back and forth is a part of the game, and I like that he’s engaged in that respect because it matters to him.”

Curry added that since the Warriors are the defending champs, teams will try to come at them, especially on the road, to get their home crowd into it. Curry and the Warriors know they have a target on their back coming off their fourth championship win in the last seven years and that every team going against them will have something to prove.

When Dubs Coach Steve Kerr weighed in on Thompson’s ejection postgame, he downplayed the altercation, and talked about how D-Book and Thompson had a similar incident when Booker was first breaking into the League.

“He and Book have gotten into it a little bit over the years; they’re just competitors, both great players — I remember four or five years ago when Book was first coming up, Klay was in his prime, he went at it one night in Oracle, and the same type of thing happened,” Kerr said. “There were no ejections, but they’re both competitive, they’re guarding each other, and this is the NBA. Highest competition in the world, stuff like that happens.”

Suns Coach Monty Williams also downplayed Booker and Thompson’s interaction when spoke to the media after the game. Williams believes that the championship veteran Warriors will always bring the best out of an up-and-coming team like the Suns.

“I think both teams want it. I don’t think it’s personal at all. I think we respect them. They’re the champions,” Williams said. “So, they’re going to get our best because they are the best. So, I think a lot of the emotion is just about being competitive. We don’t take it personally at all; we just understand better that once all that stuff happens, we got to get back on focusing on being competitive and trying to win the game.”

When Booker said his two cents, the former Kentucky Wildcat said that he admires Thompson and that he’s trying to become a champion like his shooting guard contemporary.

“We’re just two competitors; I love Klay Thompson,” Booker said. “I have for a really long time. But it’s not going to excuse from us being competitive and talking to each other. I’ve always admired his game, how he plays on both ends of the ball. And obviously, the rings speak for themselves.”

Devin Booker spoke on the situation with Klay Thompson. Went on to say Klay was probably frustrated by the off night he was having and noted he kept going back to the 4 rings, which is what he wants pic.twitter.com/vInEsJcJnp

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) October 26, 2022

This situation is not one that needs to be overanalyzed or blown out of proportion. It is just a simple case of two teams and two top players going at it; this is nothing new, especially in sports. We have all seen it repeatedly; it’s just basketball. At the end of the day, both teams and players have a great deal of respect for one another and will not let this deter them from accomplishing their true goal, a championship.

These two teams have two more matchups this season on November 16th and January 10th. If that first game did not make things clear enough, their next matchup is one that you do not want to miss!

The post Phoenix and Golden State Downplay Altercation Between Devin Booker and Klay Thompson appeared first on SLAM.

Right off the bat, Coach Steve Kerr has decided to put four-time champions Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on minute restrictions to start the campaign for conditioning. In the team’s season opener versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson played only 20 minutes, while Green finished at 25.

Kerr told reporters that the two veterans’ that he thinks their minute restrictions will be lifted slowly to their normal regular season minute level in a “couple of weeks.” 

Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins will be expected to step up during the process. In fact, they did exactly that on Tuesday. Poole dropped 12 points and seven assists in 28 minutes, while Wiggins scored 20 points in 29 minutes.

The Warriors will take on the Nuggets on Friday for their second game of the season. Perhaps Thompson and Green will see a slight increase in their playing time then.

The post Steve Kerr Expects to Lift Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s Minute Restriction Soon appeared first on SLAM.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for now, here are seven takeaways from last night’s action.

Revenge SZN: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are looking even better

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been a nightmare for teams on both sides of the ball for a few years now. They have three ECF trips under their belt and a recent appearance in the NBA Finals — they’re not supposed to still be getting better. After showing up to opening night rockin’ some pretty eye-catching fits, Brown and Tatum dropped a combined 70 points (dropping 35 points apiece) and solidified the dub over Philly.

Both were attacking from every part of the floor. Having two dynamic players like Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics a good chance to get back to the Finals and maybe even win it this time. 

Ring Night: The Warriors may be poised to make another championship run

On ring night, the Warriors look good. Damn good. Stephen Curry is still just as good as he’s always been, and the Warriors’ weapons all kept them afloat and out of reach. The Dubs had their trademark explosive third quarter, and signature contributions from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Curry, and Andrew Wiggins on offense guided them to a win. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney anchored a strong defensive performance. Their young core (Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga) came in off the bench and provided valuable minutes. Sheesh, the Warriors are deep. 

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The Beard drops a 30-piece on Opening Night

James Harden has been a picture of perfect health for the majority of his NBA career, but during his tenure with the Nets, and leading into his tenure with the Sixers, Harden was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that sapped away a lot of his explosiveness and his ability to change speeds that made him so difficult to contain during his days in Houston. Houston Harden showed up in Boston last night for Philadelphia.

He finished the game with 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 64.2 percent shooting from the field and 12/12 shooting from the line. Some may say vintage Harden; we say he’s back. 

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LeBron James speaks on Lakers’ Shooting Troubles:

The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 finished with 77 of 109 points as the remainder of the team struggled to score all game with their limited spacing. Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis also shot a combined 4-16 from three, while the Lakers as a whole shot 10-40. After the game, The King was quick to recognize this deficiency in the Lakers’ offense, citing a lack of “lasers.”

Moving forward, the Lakers need better shooting performances if they do not want to repeat their fate from last season. 

Honoring No. 7: Jaylen Brown Speaks on Bill Russell’s Legacy

The legendary Bill Russell, and 11-time NBA Champion (twice as a head coach of the Celtics), passed away this past summer. The Boston Celtics legend had his No. 6 retired around the League, and every team is wearing a “6” patch on their jersey to honor him. The Celtics took each step, however, intent on honoring their greatest player. Jaylen Brown took a few moments to commemorate Bill Russell before the game, honoring him as a player, a father, a leader, and a man. 

Coaching Debuts of Mazzulla and Ham:

Darvin Ham and Joe Mazzulla both made their head coaching debuts on opening night. Mazzulla won his first game, and Ham lost his. Mazzulla is an interim head coach, for now, following Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension by the Boston Celtics.

Near the end of their contest against the Celtics, Stan Van Gundy joked that Mazzulla now has the best winning percentage in NBA history. This is true and looks to remain true, at least through his next game. Ham, on the other hand, has the tall task of coaching a veteran Lakers team back to promise. There are some positive takeaways to be had from the team’s performance but look for tweaks in the next few games as they look to find their footing. 

FREE BG 

October 18th marked the beginning of the NBA season, but it was also Britney Griner’s 32nd birthday. Stephen Curry took some time to bring awareness to her wrongful incarceration in Russia during his direct address to the fans in attendance as well as the fans watching on TV at home. The fight for Griner’s freedom continues to be a major point of emphasis as the season begins. 

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The post 7 Takeaways From Opening Night appeared first on SLAM.

Scratching that championship quest was the Golden State Warriors, who came back down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder. A stunning turn of events in the series led to Durant departing from Oklahoma City, to join that same Dubs squad.

Forming a Big 4 in San Francisco with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Durant dealt with his own criticism when he made the move. Now, KD has shared his thoughts on the negativity surrounding his former teammate for Westbrook’s recent play with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The dialog around our game is just so toxic at this point,” said Durant on the ETCs podcast. “I get criticism [on the court] but it’s starting to turn into something else now.”

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At age 33, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, the third lowest average in his career. While the Lakers’ performance last season wasn’t entirely on Westbrook, critics (and haters on the internet) have placed a lot of the blame on him.

“When you’re playing alongside the biggest figure in L.A in LeBron James everything you do is gonna be magnified,” said Durant. “…If people don’t trust that your team is gonna be good…you have to be on point every time.”

Both Westbrook and Durant, as of now, have remained with their respective team’s of last season, but the expectations they are assumed to bring to the table remain.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Kevin Durant on Criticism Towards Russell Westbrook: ‘Dialog Around Our Game is Just so Toxic’ appeared first on SLAM.

The former Michigan Wolverine went from showing a lot of promise during his rookie year to being demoted to the G League because he played so little during the 2020-21 season. He played 11 games with Golden State’s G League affiliate before they recalled him.

“His rookie year, he was lost, frankly,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “But most rookies are. The game is different. The pace is different, the athleticism. What I admired about JP from the start was his understanding of how much work it would take to get where he wanted to go.”

How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/jOi0SbRkMy

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 16, 2022

Poole started the first 28 games of the 2021-22 season, with the Warriors going 23-5 before Coach Steve Kerr benched him to make way for Klay Thompson’s triumphant return from a two-season absence. Poole has repeatedly answered adversity through his first three seasons in the League.

When his rookie season was cut short by the pandemic, Poole reportedly lived at the gym and fully dedicated himself to improving his skillset. When he was sent down to the G League, Poole took full advantage of the opportunity by dominating on the court with his shifty handle and automatic jumper. Poole came back with unshakeable confidence and a chip on his shoulder when he came back.

Last year, Poole responded to coming off the bench by becoming an invaluable walking bucket capable of taking over games and being a significant part of Golden State’s title run.

“You go through different stages — high school, AAU, college,” Poole said. “There’ll be adversity. You just gotta have faith and have confidence. Self-belief will take you a very long way. Obviously, you mix that in with hard work and an open mindset, and anything is possible.

“Obviously,” he continued, digging into his bag of perspective, “people will try to write you off, and they’ll have things to say. That just comes with it. People will say good things. People say bad things – But as long as you focus and you have tunnel vision, and you lock in. Once you set your mind to something and you come up with a plan to do it, everything else takes care of itself. So it was just an amazing feeling not only for me but for my family. They put in so much time, so much money, and a lot of things that you can’t repay them for. So it’s just amazing to have them be a part of this as well. And my teammates who helped me get here. We can go down the entire line just talking about it. But it was a very, very special, life-changing moment.”

The @warriors dropped a 10 min video of Jordan Poole highlights. Watch this and be inspired the next time you hoop. pic.twitter.com/BYuNmijTfP

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2022

Now, the Warriors have rewarded his ability to persevere with a four-year, $140 million dollar extension. When Poole signed the contract, he couldn’t help but smile as he put ink to paper in Myers’ office.

“I couldn’t stop smiling,” Poole said Sunday. “I really tried to stop smiling. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.”

Bag earned. : @_JordanJimenez pic.twitter.com/YljCsDiPHO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 15, 2022

Poole’s deal signifies Golden State’s dedication to solidifying its future. It’s also a sign of things to come as the Warrior starts to contemplate their future without the foundational members of the dynasty. Stephen Curry is locked in for four more years while Draymond Green and Klay Thompson wait to see how their extension negotiations go.

When asked about the fallout of his altercation with Green, Poole responded diplomatically, only saying he and Green our professionals and that they “plan on handling ourselves that way.”

“In regards to the Draymond situation,” Poole said, addressing the altercation publicly for the first time, “you know, he apologized, and we’re professionals. We plan on handling ourselves that way. We’re gonna play basketball, and everybody in the locker room and on our team knows what it takes to win a championship. And we’re gonna do that on the court. I mean, that’s really all I have to say on the matter. We’re here to win a championship and keep hanging banners.”

It remains to be seen just how the Warrior’s dynamic will be changed, if at all, this season. Kerr called the situation” the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had” Knowing that the Warriors have been able to wither plenty of storms is a testament to their culture. What happens this season will be the ultimate test of the Warrior’s way and their”Strength in Number” mantra that resulted in four championships.

The post Jordan Poole ‘Can’t Stop Smiling’ After Signing Contract Extension appeared first on SLAM.

Curry, arguably the greatest shooter of all time, has four titles under his name with a Finals MVP to back up his coveted career. The Warriors superstar believes there’s another teammate who was playing for the legacy he has submitted in Golden State.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke, Curry remarks on the legacy of his longtime teammate, Andre Igoudala, who he believes was a significant contributor to the Warriors’ four titles and is a sure shot at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely, I didn’t know that was much of a debate,” said Curry on Igoudala being labeled a Hall of Famer. “He’s kind of the mature vet that’s still putting up solid numbers but impacting winning at a level that is a difference maker.”

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Igoudala’s four championships with the Warriors may be underestimated by playing with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry through the years. However, his defensive tenacity in the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off Golden States’ illustrious dynasty.

Igoudala scored 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game and won the 2015 Finals MVP. In that series, Curry and Thompson averaged 34.2 percent shooting from their three-point distance, but Igoudala’s heroics kept James shooting at 38.1 percent from the field when guarded by him.

Iggy is now in the later stages of his career. He rejoined the Dubs over the summer and averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during the regular-season. When it came down to the postseason, Coach Steve Kerr trusted the 38-year-old to play during the 2022 Finals. Iggy rewarded that trust by posting seven points and three assists during Game 1 and played spot duty the rest of the Finals as a 3-and-D wing.

“I hope there’s a keen eye part of just watching his career unfold,” said Curry. “Seeing the different iterations of himself that impact winning, that’s what it should be about.”

Igoudala enters his 19th season in the League, more importantly, his last go at defending a championship for the Warriors. The farewell tour starts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Chase Center.

The post Stephen Curry Believes Andre Iguodala is ‘Absolutely’ An Hall of Famer appeared first on SLAM.

One of the NBA’s most elite dynasties, the Golden State Warriors, has reached the top of the mountain once more. With the brilliant play of Stephen Curry and company, the franchise has won four championships in a 7-year span. It’s quite remarkable, to say the least, but it all starts with one of the veteran pieces that keep the locker room in check and comes up big on the biggest stage.

The 38 year old Andre Igoudala may not be the pivotal factor to decide a championship series, but there’s something about his presence in the locker room that leads to success. It’s not just with the Warriors too, Igoudala took part in the Miami Heat‘s incredible 5th seeded run to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Bubble. His high IQ on defense was a major contributor to the Heat’s success, but the team ultimately fell to the LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers.

The matchup between him and LeBron James is always considered one of the more unexpected rivalries in League history. However, in 2015 with the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, Igoudala stepped up to attribute 16.3 points a game with 5.8 rebounds and 4 boards. What carved his name into the Bill Russell Finals MVP award, was his teriffic defense on a LeBron James who’d been dominating all post-season long.

“I’m letting you know now Steph,” said Igoudala. “This the last one.”

Though the Warriors haven’t come to terms with a deal for Igoudala, it seems clear he’s comitted to signing a veternan minimum deal. If so, Igoudala will play his final season, in a quest with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green at their fifth ring.

The post Andre Iguodala Confirms He’ll Return to the Warriors for His 19th Season appeared first on SLAM.

At 37-years-old and entering his 19th NBA season, James doesn’t have much else to accomplish other than the all-time leading scorer and chasing the shadow of Michael Jordan’s six championships. If there is one goal, one pipedream the King wants to reach, it would be playing in the NBA with his oldest, Bronny James.

Bronny is a 17-year-old rising senior at Sierra Canyon High School and is a consensus top 50 high school prospect as he enters his final year of high school play.

WHOA!!!! Just kids from Akron!!!! The Chosen One x The Chosen Sons #JamesGang #TheLegecyContinues Jeffery A. Salter @SInow
https://t.co/m7YE9nHthw pic.twitter.com/ShWIvGWO86

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 30, 2022

Bronny would be next in an emerging line of second-gen hoopers that began with Rick Barry’s three sons, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Domantis Sabonis, as well as the four NBA sons on the Warriors roster in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II.

It remains to be seen if Bronny or his younger brother, Bryce, will have the chops to play in the best pro basketball league in the world. Bronny has gradually become a better player as his HS years have gone by, and he’s garnered scholarship offers from Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC. Bryce recently received an offer from Duquesne University.

“I like to throw things out in the airwaves,” James said per Sports Illustrated. “But I’m not one to [say] what’s going to happen in the next two to three years. I am a visionary, but I’m also a guy that lives in the moment.”

Funny enough, the idea of LeBron and Bronny sharing the court didn’t rise until that fateful day in February when he told The Athletic he’d like to play his last year in the NBA with his oldest son and that “it’s not about the money at that point.” According to LeBron’s wife Savannah, “no, we hadn’t talked about” the subject, while the idea seemed “pretty cool” to their oldest son.

Savannah herself knows that idea is something that is “near and dear” to her superstar husbands heart.

“We don’t even really talk about the future too much. I put it in the air because I like to talk to the basketball gods out there and see if things can come to fruition. I’ve always set out goals in my career, talked to the basketball gods, and they’ve listened to all of them. Hopefully they can listen to this last one, too.” LeBron James said.

With all that being said, the reality of the men in the James Gang playing in the NBA together is a few years away. Bronny isn’t draft-eligible until 2024, and Bryce won’t be of age until 2027. A key detail that the four-time Finals MVP is keenly aware of. Aware enough to coily throw out the possibility of playing until he’s 43, joining Tom Brady as an elite athlete playing at a high level into their 40’s.

“I feel like I could play for quite a while. So it’s all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky’s not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see.” LeBron said.

For now, Bronny and Bryce will have the eyes of millions on them while on the high school scene. From the actual hardwood to social media where videographers and photographers searching for a viral shot or mix will be capturing them from the sideline. It’s a reality that their Hall-of-Fame father dealt with as a high schooler. For better or worse, so will they.

The post LeBron James Open to Playing Until 2027: ‘It’s All Up to My Body, More Importantly, My Mind’ appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Shams Charania of The Athletic leaked the opening day and Christmas Day contests over the weekend. Some other key dates include the All-Star weekend that’ll be contested from February 17-19. The regular season will end on April 9, the Play-In tournament will take place from April 11-14, and the playoffs will start a day later on April 15.

The most noteworthy game will most likely be between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies on their way to winning their fourth championship since 2015. The two Western Conference foes have formed a fierce rivalry over the last two years after a pair of intense and physical playoff games and their recent second-round playoff series.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 2022-23 season will see the Warriors attempt to defend an NBA title for the first time in eight years. With their foundational core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green returning and their future stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole all returning, the Dubs will be loaded.

The Boston Celtics will look to run it back and return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Warriors in six games. There will be some exciting storylines coming out of Beantown as Boston looks to integrate Malcolm Brogdon into the lineup. It’ll also be interesting if the front office continues to pursue a Kevin Durant trade. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will also return as perhaps the top wing-duo in the League.

Don’t count out the Bucks, Heat, and 76ers either. The Heat are always a threat, the Bucks lost after suffering injuries at the most inopportune time, and the 76ers will have an entire season of James Harden x Joel Embiid to work with.

Another question that needs answers will be can the Phoenix Suns continue their dominant stretch and improve upon their 64-18 record from last year. Getting better after being the top seed in the playoffs is difficult, but Phoenix brings back their entire team and is still headlined by Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

It’ll be fun to see how Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will fare after Jalen Brunson and Rudy Gobert left for New York and Utah, respectively. The Minnesota Timberwolves are throwing it back to yesteryear with a twin tower lineup featuring Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Not to mention how much better the Grizzlies will be after earning the second-best record in the NBA last season.

Last but not least, how will the LA teams play? The Lakers are coming off a tumultuous season but added a new head coach in Darvin Ham, who’s been trusted to improve a roster that still boasts LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. The Clippers are perhaps a more significant title threat with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the addition of former All-Star point guard John Wall to the lineup.

Below are the team schedules for each team by division and conference. The Eastern Conference is first followed by the West.

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

The post NBA Releases 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins has since brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada as he hosted youth camps in Vaughan and Mississauga. The 2022 All-Star returning to his hometown allowed him to prove to the kids attending his camp that when you believe in yourself and shut out the outside news, you can reap a lot of awards.

“I feel great,” Wiggins said per the Toronto Star. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people had counted me out, but to be back and … winning a championship? All the sacrifices, all the ups, and downs, all the stuff was worth it. It makes the story that much better.”

HOW'S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

It was a challenging and humbling lesson Wiggins learned as he went from being a volume scorer in Minnesota known for putting up empty calorie stats on losing teams. When he arrived in Golden State, Wiggins was able to thrive as the third star on a group headlined by Stephen Curry and Klay Thomspon.

Under the watchful eye of GM Bob Myers, Coach Steve Kerr, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green, Maple Jordan embraced being a two-way wing that could be relied on to get a bucket late in the shot clock while guarding the toughest perimeter threat.

“When I step on the court, I’ve always been confident in what I can do,” he said. “When I was in Minnesota, I put up numbers. But people said, ‘He put up numbers on a bad team.’ So, I go to Golden State, and I’m not scoring as much, but I’m doing a lot at a more efficient rate, so the whole world gets to see.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

He played a pivotal role in guarding offensive threats like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum. He took on each assignment and won more than his fair share of battles, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

“It’s been a different type of summer, but the best summer of my life,” he said. “It’s been amazing coming down here and feeling all this love and positivity. It’s been great. Just being able to bring the trophy back home to where it all started for me —— where all my friends and family are, that helped me get to the place where I’m at now.”

Wiggins hopes to come into the 2022-23 season with a freshly minted extension after carrying a significant two-way load last season. The Warriors will likely have to lean on Wiggins as they implement Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman into the lineup after they let several veterans walk away in free agency.

The post Andrew Wiggins Feeling ‘Great’ During ‘Best Summer’ of His Life appeared first on SLAM.

The eighth-year head coach identified Kevon Looney, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green as the Warriors’ “foundational six,” with the latter three serving as the team’s established core.

Kerr believes Golden State’s core is among the best in the League, especially after adding the younger trio of Looney, Wiggins, and Poole to the mix.

“We have probably more continuity than anybody in the League with our core group,” Kerr said. “Add Wiggs and Jordan and the institutional knowledge they’ve gained, and we have a really strong foundation. That’s the most important thing you can have in this League.

“We had it going into last year. But the difference was, a year ago, we didn’t know if we were really contenders. That’s why the 18-2 start was so big. It reinforced it. This year, being defending champs, it doesn’t guarantee anything, but you have a confident sense in who you are. We have our main six guys back, the foundational six that we know are going to be on the court for big minutes every night. That allows us to bring our young guys along.”

The Dubs’ roster also features future stars such as Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman, all of whom Kerr claims “have shown really good signs.” Moody and Kuminga saw action in the playoffs during the Warriors’ Finals run last season (and also impressed in the most recent NBA Summer League), while Wiseman was sidelined due to injury.

The Warriors will have a lot to prove as they focus on their win-and-develop mindset. Their future success will be predicated on their young core of Moody, Kuminga, Wiseman, Poole, and Wiggins being able to successfully takeover once Golden State’s “foundational six” leave the Warriors.

Next season will be a different journey after the Warriors’ lottery-bound seasons but coming off a championship brings a different level of confidence. Furthermore, being able to get substantial contributions from Moody, Kuminga, and Wiseman on top of his “foundational six” next season, the future could hold another championship for Golden State.

“I don’t know that it’s a bigger challenge because last year felt like a huge challenge going in,” Kerr said. “Last year felt more daunting because we’d had two lousy seasons in a row. This year feels different because we’re the defending champs. It feels like we’ve got our groove back. We’ll have Klay back for a full season. Our foundation in place. While we’re absolutely going to play a lot of young guys, we kind of have a core six, a foundational six players who are really the ones that make everything happen and will allow us to bring the young guys along.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Steve Kerr on the ‘Strong Foundation’ the Warriors Have Built appeared first on SLAM.

After his first pitch, Curry was subsequently interviewed and asked about living in the Bay Area and wanting to stay with the Golden State Warriors for the entirety of his career.

“That was a really natural process actually for me,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area, “Cause like you said, I just finished my 13th year, and to be able to say I’ve played for one team my entire career, and also to say between the 10 years in Oakland and these last three years in San Francisco, I can honestly say how special this place is — Honestly, I don’t want to leave ever. I want this to be my one and only home, and even thinking about what happens after basketball is done.”

“I don’t want to leave ever. I want this to be my one and only home” – Steph on the Bay Area pic.twitter.com/aWHLidy8b1

— NBC Sports Bay Area & CA (@NBCSAuthentic) July 27, 2022

Curry signed a four-year max extension last summer and won’t hit the free agent market until 2026, when he’s 38-years-old. The happiness that will come with playing Golden State comes with one caveat; he wants to play out the final years of his career with the championship teammates that he’s gone to battle with for the last decade.

Curry reportedly wants Golden State’s front office to pay Draymond Green and Klay Thompson so they can play together, at least through the end of his current contract. The only problem is the luxury tax the Warriors will have to pay to keep Green, Thompson, Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole on the team for the next three seasons. Green reportedly wants a max contract that, per multiple reports, could be in the four-year range.

The one thing that could keep the band together would be a player deciding to take a paycut. The Warriors are also in a win-and-develop mode right now as they focus on making the most out of Curry, Thompson, and Green’s remaining prime years while making sure that their young core of Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman get a chance to play and be thrown the fire of playing on a championship contender team.

The post Stephen Curry Wants Golden State ‘to Be His One and Only Home’ appeared first on SLAM.

To mitigate concerns with paying the League’s luxury tax, the Warriors decided to fully invest in their win-and-develop now mentality by letting their bench mob walk in free agency and relying on their young core to compliment their championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green. Green, in particular, is reportedly set to request a max extension from Joe Lacob and Bob Meyers, per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic.

Steph Curry would not be happy if the Warriors lost Draymond Green because the team didn’t want to pay him, sources tell @ThompsonScribe and @anthonyVslater.

Curry has a desire for Green and Klay Thompson to be with him for the length of his stay. https://t.co/watYncUTw5 pic.twitter.com/0UNi0mzImq

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) July 27, 2022

Green has played a major role as the emotional leader and defensive anchor of Golden State’s championship teams. He’s also been a lightning rod for criticism from fans and national media for his trash-talking and physical play style. Be that as it may, Green has become the ultimate team player after winning four rings, winning the DPOY award in 2016, earning seven All-Defensive and two All-NBA team selections.

The former Michigan State Spartan is so integral to Golden State’s success that Curry would reportedly “not be happy” if the Dubs decide not to pay Green or Thompson, who is also eligible for an extension and can hit free agency in 2024.

Signing Green and Thompson to three-year deals would align their contracts with Curry, who is under contract until the summer of 2026. The critical factor will be who is most willing to take a pay cut to keep the band together and keep the Warriors championship window open for a few more seasons.

The post REPORT: Draymond Green Wants Max Extension Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Amid that celebration, an overjoyed and overwhelmed Stephen Curry begged an interesting question. “What are they gonna say now?” he exclaimed. “What are they gonna say now?”

Really, what are they gonna say now?

Curry repeated the question many times over the next few hours. The answer, one would hope, is nothing. There is nothing that Stephen Curry doubters and haters and skeptics can say now. His legacy is solidified. Period.

SLAM 239 featuring Stephen Curry is out now.

If we’re being honest, it was solidified long before he led the 2021-22 Warriors back to the mountaintop, just two seasons after they finished with the worst record in the NBA. Long before his legendary Game 4 Finals performance, when he put up 43 points and 10 rebounds on the road. Long before he averaged 31.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for the entire series, facing a historically good Celtics’ defense. Long before he claimed ring number four and his first Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy.

But this was the icing on the cake, the cherry on the sundae, the exclamation point. As Curry himself said, given everything that the organization has endured over the past couple years—the losing, the injuries, the roster changes, the constant criticism—this championship “hits different.”

Here’s the résumé now, just so we’re all on the same page: 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA, 2x MVP, 2x scoring champ, 4x champion, a Finals MVP and all-time leader in three-pointers made. Because of his unique game and nearly unprecedented impact, trying to sum up Curry’s legacy is extremely difficult. Coaches and teammates did their best following Golden State’s title-clinching Game 6 victory.

Draymond Green: “When you look at a guy like Stephen Curry—to have the season that he’s had, to have the career that he’s had, it’s absolutely amazing. And to stamp that with a Finals MVP, I know he said it doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t matter in the sense of, like, Oh, his legacy is not quite this unless he gets that. That’s garbage. He’s still Steph Curry. He’s still an all-time great. But to add that to your résumé as a competitor, you want that. And for him, it’s well deserved. It’s been a long time in the making. He left no doubt. And he carried us.”

Get your copy of SLAM 239!

Klay Thompson: “I’m so happy for him to get that Finals MVP. Some freakin’ bozos were saying he needed it. I think he’s pretty much established what he can do. But to see him earn that, I mean, he’s one of the greatest ever.”

Andre Iguodala: “I think he solidified himself today—not even today, just in his career—as the best point guard of all time.”

Kevon Looney: “He’s changed the game. I think everybody knows that. We call him the greatest shooter for a reason. Since I’ve been here, he’s done something amazing every year. I got to see him win a unanimous MVP. I got to see him break the three-point record. I got to see him win three championships and win back-to-back MVPs. He has a long list, a great résumé. He’s considered one of the best ever for a reason.”

Steve Kerr: “I’m obviously thrilled for everyone in that room, and a lot of people had a big hand in this, but I think the thing with Steph is, without him, none of this happens. And that’s not taking anything away from Joe and Peter’s ownership, because they’re amazing owners. They’ve built an incredible organization. Bob Myers, hell of a GM. And our players, we’ve had so many great players. But Steph is ultimately why this run has happened. Much like Timmy [Duncan] in San Antonio. I’m happy for everybody, but I’m thrilled for Steph. To me, this is his crowning achievement in what’s already been an incredible career.” 

Those quotes tell much of the story. So does the résumé. So does the way that the game has changed. So does the fact that the Warriors, under Curry’s reign, have become a true NBA dynasty, hanging four banners and going to six Finals in eight years.

Stephen Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. 

Really, there is nothing more to say. 

239 is also available in these exclusive gold and black metal editions. Shop here.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Stephen Curry’s Legacy as One of the Greatest of All-Time Has Been Solidified appeared first on SLAM.

Jonathan Kuminga first learned the game by watching Kobe highlights at an internet cafe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now at 19 years old, he’s an NBA champion. pic.twitter.com/FD8bjjSFRl

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 26, 2022

Everything you see from Kuminga, his work ethic, and his potential as a two-way lockdown star for the Warriors came from the adversity of his journey to the League. It came from Kuminga growing up watching Kobe Bryant highlights in an internet cafe in the Congo.

“It was crazy cause there’s a lot of things that you have over here that you don’t get over there. Going to the Internet cafe at an early young age, just watching Kobe, and that’s when I fell in love with basketball.” Kuminga said.

Kuminga went on say that people his age or younger that come to the States should use the presented opportunity to come here and take advantage of it.

Kuminga parlayed his high school success into becoming a part of the inaugural G League Ignite team. Kuminga went on to cement his potential as a lottery pick-level player, averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. After his season of development with the G League Ignite, the Golden State Warriors were impressed with Kuminga enough to draft him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“Just me going to the G League; it was just basically like me leaving home and coming here. I think I was going to be drafted just a year after that, and it be way higher. That’s what made me go to the G League and just get ready to be professional and way ahead of everybody. The night I got drafted, my parents came over, and then I heard my name get called just to sit at the same table; I don’t think that happened since I left home. That was just a joyful time to enjoy it with my parents and my family.”

Next season, Kuminga will have a prime opportunity to become a vital piece of the Warriors’ rotation as they attempt to defend their 2022 title. The Warriors let vital members of their bench mob walk in free agency in order to focus on their develop and win now philosophy, while Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green remain on the roster.

The post How Jonathan Kuminga Learned the Game by Watching Kobe Bryant’s Highlights in Cafe in the Congo appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After four seasons, Morant has emerged as a certified superstar after winning Most Improved Player of the year, earning his first All-Star bid, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Morant also averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while leading Memphis to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. Morant led the Grizzlies to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs before Memphis fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.

“Over the past three seasons, Ja has truly emerged as an NBA superstar and must-see TV,” Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, told ESPN. “From Rookie of the Year to NBA All-Star starter, to All-NBA Second Team and Most Improved Player, we are incredibly proud of him for his dedication to improving his game and developing into a team leader. The Grizzlies are a perfect fit for Ja. The organization and the city have embraced him.

“The sky is the limit for Ja both on and off the court, and we look forward to helping him continue to build his legacy in the league.”

Memphis is my home

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

Morant and the Grizzlies will look to take the next step as one of the youngest and hard-nosed teams in the League. Led by Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, this Grizzlies team could be a threat for many years to come. They even have a budding rivalry brewing with the 2022 champion Warriors. Morant and Draymond Green have gone back and forth on Twitter. Klay Thompson called Jackson out for some tweets he perceived as disrespectful.

damn pic.twitter.com/nU7WexVjN8

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

The young and hungry Grizzlies vs. the grizzled veteran Warriors could be the best NBA feud since the Kings and Lakers, Lakers and Spurs, or even Cavaliers and Pistson when LeBron James was coming up in the League as a young and upcoming threat to the NBA’s hierarchy.

The post REPORT: Ja Morant Locked in With Memphis After Signing Max Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The rest of Golden State’s core, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green could be seen dapping up and hugging each other, and 2015 Finals MVP and the first critical free-agent acquisition of the dynasty Warriors era, Andre Iguodala, joined in on the festivities too.

“This one is definitely different because of the three years of baggage we carried coming out of that Game 6 in 2019,” Curry said per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I can say it now; I don’t know how many teams could carry that as long as we have with the expectations of comparing us now to teams of past and make it to the mountaintop again.”

A brotherhood forged in GOLD pic.twitter.com/O65aUCMXHT

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

For Curry, Green, and Thompson, their fourth title in eight years felt a little different. It’s mainly because Golden State’s developed quite the chip on their shoulder since their kingdom collapsed following their 2019 Finals loss to the Raptors. As he celebrated in his champagne-soaked jersey, Curry could be seen asking no one in particular, “what else are they gonna say?”

"What are they gon say now" -Stephen Curry

Celebration Time #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/Tg5Adi73tz

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

The 2022 Finals MVP and Thompson were on top of the championship dias, getting ready for an embrace, when Thompson blurted out, “All we do is shoot threes and win championships.”

Most importantly, the signature depth that led the Warriors to so much success since 2015 reemerged during this run to the 2022 title.

“This is a collective season,” Thompson said. “Strength in numbers is alive and well.”

“All we do is shoot threes and win championships… I love you brother!”@KlayThompson x @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/bAKemr80kf

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

Speaking of “Strength in Numbers,” Thompson perhaps had the biggest chip on his shoulder since he’s returned from not playing basketball for over 940 days. He took it personally when Jaren Jackson Jr. trolled the Warriors after the Grizzlies beat them in the regular season in March.

“I can’t wait; there is this one player on the Grizzlies who tweeted ‘strength in numbers’ after they beat us in the regular season, and it pissed me off so much,” Thompson angrily said. “I can’t wait to retweet that thing—frigging bum. I had to watch that, like this frigging — okay, okay. Sorry. Bad memory just popped up. Going to mock us? Like, you ain’t ever been there before, Bro. We been there. We know what it takes. Hold that. Twitter fingers, can you believe it? “I’ve got a memory like an elephant; I don’t forget.”

"I can't wait to retweet that thing. Freakin' bum."

Klay's been keeping receipts pic.twitter.com/WJReCAVukK

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 17, 2022

That the Warriors were able to turn these perceived slights into fuel for a championship run isn’t unusual. The greatest NBA dynasties, players, and teams have been able to turn it on after the proverbial bear was poked. Curry, Thompson, and the Warriors are just the latest to join the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the all-time champs of petty.

The basketball gods have certainly given the Warriors grace as their dynasty went through its ups and downs. Becoming the first team to go from the League’s worst record in 2020 to a championship in a three-year span speaks a lot to their resilience and championship DNA.

“You get goosebumps just thinking about, you know, all those snapshots and episodes that we went through to get back here, individually, collectively,” Curry said. “And that’s why I said I think this championship hits different. That’s why I have so many emotions, and still will, just because of what it took to get back here.”

After a grueling season, the Warriors can kick their feet up and appreciate what it means to be champs again. It’ll be a few months before the Warriors will likely have to find another collection of slights to help inspire them to another championship run.

The post Fourth Title in Eight Years Feels ‘Different’ For Golden State’s Championship Core appeared first on SLAM.

Not only have the Warriors won their fourth title since 2015, but Curry won the 2022 NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his storied career. Curry finished Game 6 with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, along with two steals and one block on 12-21 shooting from the field, knocking down 6-11 three-pointers to break his uncharacteristic streak of 10 straight missed triples.

4x Champ
2x MVP
8x All-Star
8x All-NBA
2x Scoring Champ
No. 1 All-Time 3’s Made
2022 NBA Finals MVP

The Chef’s resume is ridiculously extensive.

: @sammironko pic.twitter.com/QkjX7BGNl9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Curry entered Thursday night with the second-most career playoff points before winning his first Finals MVP, trailing only Bryant (4,381) and Chamberlain (3,430).

“It means we won; it means we took advantage of the opportunity to get back here,” Curry said during a postgame interview with Lisa Salters of ESPN. “We hear all the chatter; at the end it’s about what we do on the floor. Ain’t gotta talk about just gotta go do it, and that’s what this is about.”

It’s about damn time. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/LAiEBVoowa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

The Warriors’ run to the ’22 title led by Curry highlights a record-breaking season for the two-time MVP. Curry started the season grabbing the all-time record for made threes; he created the 3k club for made three, won an All-Star MVP, and got to play with Splash Brother Klay Thompson for the first time in over 900 days. Curry also became the first Warrior to pass 3000 playoff points.

When you look back, the Warriors’ season was a roller coaster as they finished the season ranked third in the Western Conference season despite a foot injury that knocked Curry out for the final weeks of the regular season.

Back on top. Your 2022 NBA World Champions.

: @MarcusA11en pic.twitter.com/HJ04P2P3X3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Now with the season mercifully over, Curry can sit back on his reclaimed throne.

“I’m so proud of our group,” Curry said. “I thank God every day that I get to play this game at the highest level with some amazing people.”

“You know this is what it’s all about — playing for a championship and what we’ve been through the last three years, beginning of the season, no one thought we’d be here except everybody on this court right now. It’s amazing. It’s very surreal, though, very surreal.”

Blood, sweat and tears.

: @sammironko pic.twitter.com/rv4PhdFfxe

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Game 6 was a game of runs; Boston raced out to a 12-2 run after making four of their first six shots, including two three-pointers from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But the Warriors went on a game-altering 21-0 run in the first half to bust the game wide and give themselves a 21-point cushion after a Thompson three-pointer.

Tatum stopped the bleeding and stopped the bleeding with a layup, but the Warriors had already thrown the first haymaker of the night. Oh yeah, and Chef Curry finally hit a three after missing his first attempt from the field.

Damn Stephen… (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/jGdIka9ZMk

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Boston was able to pick up some major runs in the second half, cutting the deficit to within nine points after unleashing a 12-2 run, highlighted by a nasty and-1 over Thompson and Jordan Poole. However, Boston was never able to get any closer than that.

No moment was more significant than the 29-footer Curry buried to give Golden State a 22-point lead with 6:15 left in the third quarter. To top it off, Curry pointed right to his right ring finger like Aaron Donald did throughout the Los Angeles Rams run to the Super Bowl in February.

The Chef wants #4. pic.twitter.com/tO7H1adzcB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Curry couldn’t have gone the night without hitting his clutch silencer, putting the Celtics to sleep and sending his teammates, particularly Poole, into a frenzy as the Warriors grabbed a 96-81 lead with a little over three minutes to go in the game.

GOODNIGHT. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/dkNo4Pv8lf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

“We were so far away from it,” Curry said when asked why this title means so much. “We were here for five straight years and got three of them; then we hit rock bottom with injuries, then the long road of work ahead and just trying to fill in the right pieces and right guys. You could never take this for granted cause you never know when you’ll be back here. To get back here and get it done means the world.”

In six games against the Celtics, Curry averaged 31.2 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. Curry’s Final MVP performance has put him in some exclusive company. Curry joins Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players to win an MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and a scoring title per ESPN.

The post Stephen Curry Claims First-Ever NBA Finals MVP appeared first on SLAM.

"I couldn't imagine sharing this journey with anyone else. We've built this thing from the ground up…"

Draymond Green on his relationship with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. pic.twitter.com/UKJczE3ZNs

— NBA (@NBA) June 15, 2022

Since the 2012-2013 campaign, the Warriors have only missed the playoff once in the 2019-2020 season after the departure of two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant and the absence of Thompson due to a torn ACL. The Warriors qualified for the play-in tournament, but they ultimately ran outta stamp in losses to the Lakers and Grizzlies.

This past season, Golden State (53-29) finished third in the Western Conference and ran through the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Dallas Mavericks to make it back to the Finals for the sixth time, this time for a date with the Boston Celtics.

The time between the Warriors’ last Finals appearances has been well documented. Green, Curry, and Thompson have endured a lot, especially Thompson, who didn’t play a game for 941 days after suffering a torn Achilles during the 2020 offseason. Curry broke his hand in 2019-2020, leaving Green out there without the Splash Brothers for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Going into Game 6 of the Finals, Green expressed his gratitude for the Splash Brothers.

“I couldn’t imagine sharing this journey with anyone else. We’ve built this thing from the ground up.”

The core of the Warriors has a chance to close out the Finals on Thursday’s Game 6 and win their fourth title since 2015.

The post Draymond Green Speaks About His Relationship With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson appeared first on SLAM.

On Monday, Wiggins didn’t need to be the alpha dog to save the Warriors from a dismal performance from Curry. The 2015 Rookie of the Year finished Game 5 with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. It was the type of performance that reminds you why Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Most importantly, it gave the Warriors a 3-2 series lead and pushed them to within one win of a title.

“We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility,” Kerr said per Sports Illustrated. “We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution. But I think it’s a reminder that for almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff. Wiggs has been a great fit.”

HOW’S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

After Wiggins helped lead the Warriors to a pivotal win, his teammates gave him his flowers. Draymond Green gave Wiggins particular kudos with an enthralling story he told reporters about the 2022 All-Star. Green said the Warriors knew that they could trust Wiggins to deliver in big moments based on the belief the notoriously demanding Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau had in Wiggins.

What really punctuated the moment was the fact that the equally demanding Jimmy Butler raved about Wiggins despite his ugly and infamous departure from Minnesota in 2018.

“I mean that trust has been building for two and a half years now since he got here. A lot of people looked at the trade as it’s another piece that they can move,” Green told reporters. “And we looked at the trade from the very beginning like that is a guy who can fit next to a healthy group absolutely well. When he first came here, and I’ll never forget, it’s when Thibs wasn’t with the Knicks, and Thibs was like, ‘you guys are going to love him. He competes, he defends’ — and he was telling us Jimmy (Butler) loved him, and we all know how Jimmy Butler is, if you got any softness to you Jimmy don’t like you. That’s just how Jimmy is cut, and he’s continued to show that, he’s continued to get better, he’s taken on every challenge that we’ve thrown in front of him, and it’s huge, and we need him to do it for one more win.”

Draymond Green on the trust they have in Andrew Wiggins. Some great perspective, and even something Tom Thibodeau told the Warriors after the trade happened: pic.twitter.com/imd2iWZDB7

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) June 14, 2022

Wiggins has averaged 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 47.4 percent shooting from the field in 20 games this postseason. Wiggins has thrived as a two-way player in Golden State’s vaunted system and will play a key role in guarding Tatum and being a security blanket late in the shot clock as a capable off-the-bounce bucket.

The Finals shifts to Boston for Thursday’s Game 6, and the Celtics will likely play with force and urgency to tie the series back and force a do-or-die Game 7 back in San Francisco.

The post Draymond Green Raves About Andrew Wiggins After Game 5 appeared first on SLAM.

But in Game 5, Curry’s rocketship of momentum came back down to earth after finishing Monday night’s game with 16 points on 7-22 shooting from the field, including missing all nine of his three-point attempt.

Coach Steve Kerr wasn’t surprised that Curry ended up having an off night.

“I think Steph was probably due for a game like this,” Kerr said per NBCSports. “He’s been shooting the ball so well. At some point, he’s going to have a tough night. But we’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of depth that can make up for that. And our guys did a good job of that tonight.” 

Chef with the layyy. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/w0V7NJ4Myp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Up until Game 5, Curry knocked multiple triples down in 38 straight playoff games, including 132 games with at least one three made. Curry has made at least one three in 233 consecutive games between the regular season and postseason. The credit goes to Boston’s defense, wearing the two-time MVP with different defensive looks, and not allowing Curry to walk into his three-point attempts like he was able to in the previous four games.

"Warriors"

The energy from inside the Chase Center pic.twitter.com/t0cgxUsRZF

— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2022

However, Golden State proved that they could win even if Curry weren’t playing at a superhero level. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 26 points and 13 rebounds, Klay Thompson finished with 21 points, and Jordan Poole contributed 14 points, including three to beat the third-quarter buzzer to steal the momentum going into the final frame.

“Steph is the best to ever shoot it — everyone in this building, including the fans and those watching, believe the ball is going in when it leaves his fingertips,” Thompson said.

"Steph is the best to ever shoot it… everyone in this building including the fans and those watching believe the ball is going in when it leaves his fingertips."

Klay Thompson on Steph Curry's shooting struggles in Game 5. pic.twitter.com/kAi9pn6spM

— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2022

The Golden State Warriors are just one win away from claiming their first title since 2015. The Warriors’ 104-94 point win also snapped Boston’s 7-0 record after a loss.

The post Steve Kerr: Stephen Curry ‘Due’ For Rough Outing appeared first on SLAM.

Instead of allowing Curry’s slow night to deter him and his Warriors teammates, Maple Jordan showed up and showed out, finishing the Warrior’ 104-94 win over the Celtics with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

“Attacking the rim,” Wiggins said after being asked what felt good about his offense in a postgame TV interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salter. “I felt like I got a lot going on early and got in that mindset to stay aggressive and stay attacking.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The Warriors, now up 3-2 in the Finals, are a game away from winning their fourth title since 2015, extending their home record to 11-1 and giving Boston their first back-to-back postseason losses.

It was Wiggins, and Draymond Green (seven rebounds and six assists) who set the tone of Game 5, playing with a burst of energy as Green was making plays on both sides of the game, scoring all eight of his points in the first half, throwing down a two-handed dunk for safety after faking a handoff to Klay Thompson (21 points and three rebounds)to give Golden State a 12-4 lead nearly five minutes into the game.

Draymond said see ya. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5nhY04ZIIr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Wiggins scored 16 points in the first half, helping the Warriors grab an 11-point lead heading into the second quarter. Boston could cut that lead to six as Curry sat, but once he re-entered the game with seven minutes to go, Golden State’s offense opened up, and the Warriors led 51-39 at halftime.

Once halftime came and went, Boston woke up and smothered the Warriors’ offense as they jumped out to a 19-4 run to grab their first lead of an Al Horford (nine points and nine rebounds) triple. However, that dominant Celtics run was answered by Thompson and Jordan Poole (14 points), who hit a pair of threes apiece, including a buzzer-beater that stole the momentum while giving Golden State a one-point lead at the end of three quarters.

Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins continued to push that momentum forward with a 10-0 run to start the final frame. By the time Curry returned with 7:44 left on the clock, the Warriors had held an eight-point lead that Boston would never cut into.

“I’m just trying to do every little thing to win,” Wiggins said. “That’s it. Whether I gotta score, rebound, defend, anything I’m asked to do on the court or to help, I’m going to do.”

Quick Poole Party at the end of the third. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/tKBEI87s8l

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The former No. 1 overall pick scored 10 points in the fourth on 5-6 shooting. His consistent effort defensively and in the rebounding effort meant everything on a night Curry only scored 16 points and eight dimes on 7-22 shooting.

Wiggs be soaring. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/4IP5Zvqgej

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

This time, the Warriors’ secondary players delivered when Curry rested to start the fourth quarter. Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins contributed heavily to Golden State’s 10-0 run to start the quarter. His poster on Derrick White cemented his big-time performance with a little over two minutes left in the game.

“We’re here, we’re hungry, and we want this. The team that wants it the most can get it, and we want it.”

HOW’S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Golden State looks to close the series out on Thursday at the TD Garden. Should the Warriors lose, Game 7 will be in San Francisco.

“I’m excited. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, something I’ve worked hard for; this whole team worked hard for. So I’m excited; I can’t wait.”

The post Andrew Wiggins After Game 5: ‘We’re Hungry and We Want This’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Shams Charania, Wiseman could be ready to go for NBA Summer League as he nears clearance for full-contact basketball activities.

Wiseman hasn’t been on an NBA floor since April 4, 2021, when he played six minutes in a win over Houston, but hasn’t appeared since due to knee troubles. Wiseman flew to London to receive plasmic injection treatments with Warriors GM Bob Meyers and has been progressing ever since, per the Athletic:

“Wiseman underwent an orthobiologic injection during a multiday trip to London with Warriors general manager Bob Myers in April, multiple sources told The Athletic, as both sides worked to find a way to promote healing in the knee. The plasma-rich injection in Wiseman’s arm was a therapeutic treatment used to increase healing throughout the body.

A torn meniscus cut Wiseman’s rookie season short, and he had surgery to repair it in April 2021 under the belief he would return in the middle of the 2021-22 season. But persistent swelling led to multiple setbacks and a December knee scope, eventually persuading the Warriors to shut down Wiseman and his decision to go the orthobiologic route.”

Having played in 39 NBA games, Wiseman holds career averages of 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting from the field (31.6 percent from distance). Wiseman is included in a young core of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody behind the leading group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to maintain Golden State’s stranglehold on the Western Conference.

Wiseman’s upcoming summer will be critical for his career. Golden State will be hosting the California Classic on July 2 and 3, giving Wiseman his first big opportunity to return to play before heading out to Las Vegas.

The post REPORT: Warriors Optimistic James Wiseman Can Play in Summer League appeared first on SLAM.

At this point in the season, with everything on the line, that’s what basketball and team sports are really all about. Who has the mental toughness, health, and confidence to drag their teammates across the finish line to win a championship?

The Warriors’ Kevon Looney says these Finals against Celtics nearing rivarly mode of old Cavs series. Whoa whoa whoa…could that be true? ⁦@TheAthleticNBA⁩ https://t.co/yO6GP7nGYd

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 10, 2022

In Kevon Looney’s opinion, the intensity of this Finals series between Boston and Golden State is what births excellent rivalries.

“That’s what makes it fun, makes it special,” Looney said Thursday per The Athletic. “That is what builds rivalries.”

To hear Looney, who has played all seven of his season with the Warriors, compare the Warriors-Celtics series to some of Golden State’s previous battles, like their battles with Cleveland, is fascinating.

The Cavs and Warriors played against each other in four consecutive Finals series and three straight times on Christmas days. Playing that often on the big stage is sure to garner some bitterness and helps build tension that could match the legendary Lakers-Celtics matchup or the mutual hatred Chicago and the Bad Boy Pistons have for each other.

“It’s right up there,” Looney said. “I’ve been here for a long time with the Warriors. We’ve played Houston a lot of times that got chippy. Playing Cleveland every year in the finals, it was real intense.”

The intensity and physicality of the Finals thus far seem to stem from the antics of Draymond Green. The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year has already drawn a tech after mixing it up with Grant Williams in Game 2. In some eyes, he was dangerously close to getting another after a dust-up later with Jaylen Brown in the first half of the same game.

Green embraced being the bully that game and his reputation as the hard-charging do-everything enforcer of the Warriors precedes him. However, Boston responded in Game 3 and bullied the bully. Boston punched Golden State often and early, dominating the inside as they put Green and Stephen Curry in foul trouble, preventing them from keeping or even establishing their rhythm early.

To top it all off, when Green fouled out after pushing Marcus Smart off Curry, who looked to have tweaked his regular-season ending sprained foot during a late scramble for a loose ball, the Celtics faithful rained down thunderous “F— you, Draymond” chants on the emotional leader of the Warriors.

Boston fan or not, though, Green is doing everything NBA fans are used to seeing him do in the Finals. The reactions from both sides are interesting to see; Green’s wife taking issue isn’t surprising, especially when you have your kids with you. But Klay Thompson calling out Boston for being “classy” is even more interesting.

After playing at least a decade in the NBA, Green and Thompson came up together in the League and have surely heard worse. At this point, Finals vets like Green and Thompson know that playing at the championship stage draws a little something more out of not just your opponent but their fans too.

“Not the worst things I’ve heard,” Williams said.

“Some of those chants, you just accept,” Williams said. “Some people respond to them well; some embrace them. Others, they shy away from them — Especially if you’re on the road, like, you’re going to get that no matter where you go. You walk down the street; you’re going to get something like that.

“For me, it’s like, you got to accept it.”

This year’s Finals do indeed have an edge to them. When it comes to team x and team y having a grudge with one another, it’s more likely you see the upstart Grizzlies and veteran Warriors developing a rivalry than Golden State and Boston. Memphis and Golden State have faced off in the playoffs in consecutive years, with both sides playing increasingly physical with each other.

Warriors fans and players have a grudge against Dillon Brooks; Memphis will remember Curry’s “Whoop that Trick” retort and Green’s hard fouls too.

The closest thing that the Warriors-Celtics series has to that is whatever is brewing between Green and Williams. The two have had to be separated a few times this series for getting tangled up and talking at each other. The intensity between the two seems to be fueled by Williams’ comments saying he used to admire Green while playing college ball at Tennessee.

During Game 2, Green could be heard telling Williams, “You’re not me; you want to be me.”

“When a guy comes and starts … when you say that and then you start talking junk to me, then yes, I’m going to say something about that,” Green said. “I didn’t say anything about that in Game 1 because he wasn’t talking to me. I’m not going to go watch his press conference where he gives me props, where he appreciates my game, and then go throw it in his face.

“Once he starts going at me, and it got chippy, and he’s yap, yap, yap — all right, bro, you can’t say that and then come and say this.”

With Friday’s Game 4 approaching, according to Looney, Draymond Green hasn’t allowed his teammates to be friendly with the Celtics.

“He makes sure that there ain’t no friends on the court,” Looney said. “Ain’t no helping nobody up, none of that extra stuff. We follow his lead in that regard. It’s been like that since I’ve been here.”

Down 2-1, they can’t afford to be friendly with their opponents, it’s do-or-die time, and the Warriors can’t afford to lose with the series shifting back to San Francisco for Game 5. Green will have to respond and play with an intensity similar to Game 2 and set the tone early in Game 4. Warriors fans have to hope that Curry stays off his left foot and treats it around the clock and that Thompson can record a second consecutive notable performance as the Robin to Curry’s Batman.

The post Kevon Looney On Scrappy NBA Finals: ‘That Is What Builds Rivalries’ appeared first on SLAM.

Klay Thompson is 10-of-33 shooting in these Finals. Is he just missing shots or are the Celtics defending him well? https://t.co/8Z8VWqmOif

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 7, 2022

Through two games, Thompson has scored 26 points on 10-33 shooting from the field and 4-15 from three-point range. During Tuesday’s media availability, Thompson said he plans on watching his “Game 6 Klay” highlights to help him break out of this slump. When Brown was asked why the Celtics have been able to guard Thompson at such a high level he elected to say Boston isn’t “doing a good enough job on Klay Thompson.”

“He’s just missing shots,” Brown said per The Athletic. “That player, he can get it going at any moment. We’re aware of that. We trying to prepare ourselves to make sure that doesn’t happen. But we’ve got to do a better job, to be honest.”

When asked about Thompson’s shooting struggles, Coach Steve Kerr said he thought Thompson was “pressing” as the game progressed, causing Thompson’s “mini-slump, or whatever you want to call it,” to worsen. Throughout his career, Thompson has hunted for points when his shot isn’t falling early, resulting in Thompson’s shot quality to go down.

“I probably seemed a little rushed,” Thompson admitted. “I wasn’t underneath my shot. This is nothing I’m immune to. I’ve been through shooting slumps before. The best part is, it’s how you respond. Come Game 3; I’ll probably not do much differently rather than just play with great pace and pump great shots. When I tend to do that, I tend to have a big night.”

When Thompson is on, he’s ON. He eviscerated the Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 WCF. He hit a clutch dagger to eliminate the Rockets in 2019. He knocked down two big triples in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals in Toronto to shift the series back to Oakland, but suffered a torn ACL the next time out in Toronto’s title-clinching win in Game 6.

Those microwave performances have made Thompson an League legend. But when you shine so bright with games like that, you’re also prone to tough shooting nights. Thompson shot 5-15 and 6-16 from the field during Games 3 and 4 losses in 2019. With a legacy like that, Thompson is well aware that scoring eruptions are the key to the Warriors winning their fourth title since 2015. Golden State knows it too.

If Thompson, Kerr, and the Warriors can take any solace, the Finals tape mostly agrees with Browns’ sentiment. Boston can improve on taking away Thompson’s clean catch-and-shot opportunities. In order to win Wednesday’s Game 3, Boston will look to make a better effort to limit Thompson’s open looks and continue to hope that Thompson misses early and often.

The post Jaylen Brown Sounds Off On Klay Thompson’s Shooting Slump appeared first on SLAM.

After 13 seasons in the League, Curry has started to earn acclaim for his impact on the defensive side of the ball. Long are the days when Coach Steve Kerr would hide him on defense. Curry has had key moments engaging high-scoring wings and guards in the most significant moments of the game.

Steph was so happy when he got called a two-way player pic.twitter.com/uQ4L3QWCbS

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 16, 2022

At this stage, winning the 2022 title takes figuring out how best to take advantage of your opponents’ weaknesses. The Warriors made switch-happy defenses famous in the League eight years ago, and now offenses have countered the switch by running actions to get their best offensive threat against the weakest defender on the floor.

Curry is no longer a go-to target when opponents run pick-and-rolls to create those mismatches. At 34-years-old, he’s acquired the basketball IQ, quick hands, and added bulk that has made him one of the Warriors’ most important defenders and presents Boston with the problem of figuring out who they can exploit when they run pick-and-rolls.

“Teams used to try to call Steph into every action and just try to pick on him, but that doesn’t work anymore,” Draymond Green said per The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s able to hold his ground, so you’re not able to bump him off his spot, and that’s been huge for us. I’m not shocked he’s playing that type of defense.”

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With Curry evolving into a stronger perimeter and team defender, the Boston Celtics are prone to offensive droughts. The Celtics have had to deal with a fearsome seven-man rotation of stars in their two-way role in former Defensive Player of the Year Green, effective positional defender Kevon Looney, former All-Defensive teamer Klay Thompson as starters can deploy ball-hawk Gary Payton II, and the savvy Otto Porter Jr. off the bench.

After Jayson Tatum knocked down a three-pointer to cut Golden State’s lead to six late in the third quarter, the Celtics were subsequently overwhelmed and allowed the Warriors to unleash a 19-2 run, being outscored 35-14 on the way to a 107-88 Game 2 loss on Sunday.

Curry played his part during that dominant defensive stretch by disrupting passing lanes, communicating effectively, and smothering Tatum and Jaylen Brown on pick-and-rolls. Curry’s effort was highlighted by two plays. One where Curry muscled through a Derrick White pick-and-roll and was able to stick to White’s hip long enough that Curry forced a contested three-pointer from Marcus Smart at the end of the shot clock.

The second came when Curry walled up on Al Horford in the paint, forcing the former Florida Gator to swing the ball out to Grant Williams. Curry followed up that stop by picking Williams’ pocket. The sequence showed that Curry can’t be bullied in the low post or get exposed for making bad reads. Curry is now one of the smartest and most physically strong players on the Warriors’ roster.

Steph Curry might be best known for his offense but he’s been spectacular on defense, playing passing lanes and picking off steals in bunches!

Check out Steph’s best defensive work from this season pic.twitter.com/VwosW6PAGh

— NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2022

Curry finished the regular-season ranked second in defensive win shares. He also averaged 2.0 fouls per game in 35.4 minutes per game. Curry has a better understanding of angles and spacing now, helping him become a better rotational defender, keeping him patient while looking to force turnovers, or making it difficult for his matchup to catch the ball.

“It’s always been a point of emphasis in terms of trying to win basketball games and do your job,” Curry said of his defense. “Over the course of my career, it’s been a physical development that’s happened over time that obviously helps, a lot of work that’s gone into that.

“But at the end of the day, from my rookie year to now, it’s always been about effort and just a care factor, overcoming physical limitations with matchups or whatever it is. If you try hard, good things will happen.”

Curry being able to become a plus defender was never the expectation. The only unanimous MVP can do more on the defensive side than just guarding spot-up shooters in the corner. However, Curry remains to get attacked on pick-and-rolls. In the Western Conference Finals, part of the Dallas Mavericks’ game plan was to wear down Curry as the game went on.

The eight-time All-Star was involved in 42.4 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions. That figure is 6.1 more than any other player in the conference finals. Although his teammates and Kerr have complimented Curry’s defense, many teams, like Dallas, still see Curry as a mismatch. Curry has changed that narrative on the most prominent basketball stage, playing defense at a high level in the Finals.

“He can guard 50 screen-and-rolls a game and run 50 screen-and-rolls a game,” Kerr said. “Not many people can do that.”

The post Stephen Curry Giving Boston Problems On Both Ends of the Floor appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors sharpshooter has shot a combined 10-for-33 from the field through both games and shot 4-of-19 from the field (1-of-8 from three-point range) in Golden State’s bounce-back win over the Boston Celtics during Sunday’s Game 2. 

Realizing he’s struggling, Thompson says he’s going to watch his highlights on YouTube to get himself out of his shooting slump. Thompson was made available to the media Tuesday and was asked what his go-to search on Youtube was, to which he responded, “Game 6 Klay,” with a smile.

Ever since Thompson’s 41-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the “Game 6 Klay” legend will never die. Since that game, Thompson’s always been known to show out once a series hits Game 6 (other performances include a 35-point game against the Houston Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals and a 30-point showing against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals).

“I’ll probably just YouTube’ Game 6 Klay’ because there were some very high pressurized situations I was in, and I ended up shooting the ball well,” Thompson told reporters Tuesday. “When you can do it when your back’s against the wall, you know you can do it at any given moment. It’s just about keeping that mental strong.”

Draymond Green agrees with Thompson’s idea, saying a shooting slump is about “the power of the mind.”

“You just need to see the ball go in the rim. It’s not always that simple in the game, Green said. “And so if you can go back to that, just a reminder like, I know I can do that, I know what I’m capable of. I can go back, I can feel that, and it gets you to feeling good about yourself. I think that’s a very big deal.”

Regardless of what Thompson does to escape his shooting slump, the Dubs will look to bounce back in Game 3 when they face the Celtics on the road at TD Garden tomorrow night.

The post Klay Thompson Says He’s Rewatching ‘Game 6 Klay’ Tape Amid Shooting Slump appeared first on SLAM.

To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

2. 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Matt Barnes, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Briante Weber, David West

Talk about an over-correction. The Warriors fall in the 2016 Finals, in a series they might well have won had Draymond Green not been suspended for a game, and what do they do? They decide that a core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Green just isn’t enough to get it done—even though Golden State had won a title in 2015 with the same group and had set the NBA record for regular-season wins in 2015-16 (73).

When most strong teams try to upgrade their cores, they do so with a couple of key, yet hardly overwhelming, additions. Not the Warriors. They went out and signed Kevin Durant to a free-agent deal, adding an elite NBA player who had been a seven-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion to an already-stacked roster. It was almost laughable.

Except the rest of the NBA wasn’t laughing. At all. 

When the deal was announced, there was some hand-wringing among analysts about how a high-volume scorer like Durant—he averaged 28.2 ppg the previous season—would fit with Curry, who could pile up the points himself. That seemed like a bit of hopeful thinking among the rest of the League, since the thought of a fully-functional Curry-Durant axis was frightening.

It was even scarier to encounter. Even though Durant missed the final 19 games of the regular season with an MCL sprain, he teamed with Curry to form an overpowering scoring tandem that could torment rivals from long range and off the dribble. The Warriors led the League in points scored, field goal percentage and assists. Golden State had a +11.6 point differential. More importantly, their 67 wins were much better than the NBA’s next total—the Spurs’ 61—and 16 ahead of the Clippers, the Pacific’s second-place team.

Durant (25.1 ppg) and Curry (25.3 ppg) were the clear offensive leaders, and when rivals concentrated on one, the other took charge. But championship teams can’t thrive simply on the efforts of a couple players. Thompson averaged 22.3 ppg and led the team with 41.4 percent accuracy from long range. While Green’s offensive output (10.2 ppg) wasn’t overwhelming, he was stout on the boards and played his customary frenetic defense. Role players like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia provided production, defense and steady support. The Warriors had big names at the top of the marquee, but the rest of the rotation was valuable every night, too.

The 67 regular-season wins, while not as legendary as the previous season’s total, were impressive. But the Warriors were super-charged in the playoffs. At some point in the coming years and decades, a team will go 16-0 in the postseason. Until then, the Warriors 16-1 performance will have to be the gold standard.

Golden State dusted away Portland in the first round, with the margin of victory under 10 points just once. The Warriors similarly dispatched the Jazz in the Western Semis, with each triumph at least double digits. And remember those Spurs? After Golden State squeaked past San Antonio in the opening game of the Western Finals, 113-111, behind 40 from Curry, they went on to another sweep and a date with the Cavs in the Finals.

The LeBron James-Kyrie Irving tandem was pretty good, but Durant-Curry was better. Add in Thompson, Green et al, and it wasn’t much of a contest. The Warriors finally surrendered a postseason decision in Game 4. Otherwise, it was all Golden State. Durant was the MVP, and the Warriors had avenged their previous disappointment with a remarkable season.

And one great offseason move.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 2 appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry deserves a lot of credit for the Warriors leading for much of the game after scoring 34 points, five rebounds, and five assists. His 21 points in the first quarter were the most scored in a quarter in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan had 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns in 1993. 

Curry’s six three-pointers also set a Finals record for most triples in a single quarter; the previous record was five made triples in a quarter. He shared the record with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith.

However, despite the spectacular exploits of the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, the Boston Celtics were never too far behind through the first three-quarters of Game 1. Yes, they were down by 15 at one point in the third quarter, but the Celtics were routinely able to cut any deficit down, tying the game up five times and exchanging leads up to nine.

Boston bided its time until the final frame, knocking down their first seven three-point attempts to outscore the Warriors 40-16. The onslaught was led by Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Al Horford (26 points, six boards, and a Finals-debut record six threes), who scored a combined 21 points to help Boston retake the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Horford scored 14 points during Boston’s decisive 17-0 run to take Game 1, giving Boston a lead it wouldn’t give up after scoring eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Boston also kept Golden State scoreless for nearly five minutes as they scored 17 unanswered, only ceding two meaningless field goals to Klay Thompson and Nemanja Bjelica over the final 69 seconds of the game.

“They gotta good defense,” Draymond Green (four points, 11 rebounds, five dimes), “We knew that coming in. There was no surprises; we know what they wanna get to on the defensive side and how they like to play; they know what we’re tryna get to. So, yeah, no surprises, they are who we thought they were, and now we’ll watch the clips, watch the film and figure out what we need to do to attack it.”

“They are who we thought they were.”

Draymond Green addressed the media after Game 1 of the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/PtWlkoMNr3

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Green elaborated a bit more on his thoughts a moment later during his press conference. In his eyes, the Warriors were dominant for as much as “the first 41, 42 minutes” of the game. However, Golden State trailed in the first half at one point, and their most dominant stretch came in the third quarter when they built a 15-point lead and outscored the Celtics by 14 points.

Green also pointed out that Boston hit 21 three-pointers in Game 1, the bulk of which came from Horford, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White, who hit a combined 15 long-range bombs. Green directly downplayed the hot shooting of Smart and White, saying:

“They hit 21 threes, and Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White combined for 15,” Green said. “Those guys are good shooters, but they combined for what, 15 out of eight, Smart seven, eight, 15-23. Is my math right? Eight, seven, and eight. Eight, seven, and eight. Yea, that’s 23, right? 15-for-23 from those guys. Eh. We’ll be fine.”

To counterpoint, Horford went from hitting 33.6 percent of his regular-season three-point attempts to improving that mark to 46.3 percent in the playoffs. White was shooting 20.8 percent from deep before catching fire over the last three games, managing to hit 11 out of his previous 18 three-point attempts, good enough for a 61.1 percent clip over his last three outings. Smart is hitting threes at a 34.5 percent clip also.

“They stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late,” Green said. “We’ll be fine. We’ll figure out the ways we can stop them from getting those threes and take them away. I don’t think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes, so we’ll be fine.”

Draymond Green: “We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So, we’ll be fine.” pic.twitter.com/5eXa49pIFp

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 3, 2022

Regardless, the championship core of the Warriors and Coach Steve Kerr will have some time in between now and Game 2 to readjust and formulate a new game plan. The Warriors will look to tie the series up and retake home-court advantage with a win Game 2 win on Sunday before the series shifts to TD Garden in Boston.

The post Draymond Green Not Dwelling Much On Late Game 1 Loss to Boston appeared first on SLAM.

Boston enters the Finals after beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat, who each beat the Celtics during the last three postseasons. The Celtics were able to make this run despite a slow start to the season. Boston went .500 over the first 50 games of the season but won after 26 of their last 32 games, finishing the season with the best defensive rating in the League.

The Warriors beat the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Mavericks during their run to the Finals. They finished the regular-season with a 53-29 record, good for third in the West. They’ve had a season of triumph with Stephen Curry breaking the all-time record for made three-pointers and creating the 3k club and the happy return of Klay Thompson following 942 days away from the hardwood.

They also had to deal with injuries to Curry and Green that almost knocked them off the top of the West, but the emergence of Jordan Poole and some timely big games from Thompson helped them stave off any trouble.

The regular-season series between the Warriors and Celtics ended in a 1-1 tie, with both teams winning their home games; Boston won the last matchup 110-88, but the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins, and Curry suffered a foot sprain that night that sidelined him until Game 1 of the first-round after colliding with Marcus Smart as the two fought for a loose ball.

Here, we take a look at these two powerhouse squads:

Can Golden State Solve Boston’s Defense?

Boston has the top-ranked defense remaining in the Finals and is designed to stop the chaotic motion offense of the Warriors. The Celtics’ ability to wear teams out physically and their switching makes them the best defense in the League.

On the other side, the Dubs are the top-ranked offense in the playoffs, scoring 116.1 points per game—up to four points from what they scored during the regular season. Will Golden State rely on their typical offensive actions against a defense that’s been excellent at stopping superstar scorers like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo? We’ll have to find out and see.

Tatum Exploiting Mismatches

While Boston is equipped with a squad full of bucket-getters, one standout has been Jayson Tatum, who has hunted mismatches against the Warriors—whether it’s shooting over defenders or whipping the ball around so that Boston can attack Golden State when have a 4-on-3 advantage. As JT continues to step up as a playmaker, Boston has continued to thrive.

Coach Steve Kerr’s solution may be to mix different coverages against him, likely doubling, switching, and mixing in some zone looks like the Warriors used against Luka Doncic. Another question is if Derrick White, Smart, and Brown can continue to show out and knock down shots, including the ones Tatum helps create for them.

X-FACTOR

An x-factor for Golden State has been two-way play of Andrew Wiggins. As a member of the Warriors, Wiggins has emerged as an All-Star after thriving as a third option scorer. His shot creation, defensive versatility, and offensive rebound makes him indispensable players. Will Wiggins make the most of his opportunities against a physical defense that thrives at reducing ball movement and forcing some iso play?

Robert Williams is another x-factor for the C’s. The Time Lord’s shot-blocking at the rim and perimeter has been invaluable when he was healthy. On the offensive end, Williams is a primetime lob threat.

The post 2022 NBA Finals Preview appeared first on SLAM.

But Iggy’s injury woes haven’t prevented him from playing a vital role for the Warriors as a player-assistant coach while in street clothes. This is mainly done by mentoring Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody all season and keeping this deep playoff run in perspective. According to Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News, Iguodala has made sure to remind the rookies to take plenty of pictures and keep memorabilia.

“Historically, they aren’t supposed to take on everything that comes with being in the Finals,” Iguodala said. “They’re supposed to be on college campuses learning about themselves, learning who they are as people, learning what they like, learning what they don’t like, instead of these guys making five-plus million dollars a year, got all the pressures, the madness of having money and being in the spotlight. You can become jaded. You can start taking these things for granted.

“It’s not their fault. I’m guilty of it, just being in the Finals so many times where I feel nothing. I just know it’s my job to go out and win. Really no joy in it; it’s just going to work.

Iggy has also maintained his brutal honesty with playoff vets like Kevon Looney and players playing in the playoffs for the first time like Jordan Poole. The third-year guard said Iggy “doesn’t leave any rock unturned,” and as a three-time champ, he coaches “how he sees the game unfold.”

“Extremely meticulous,” Poole said. “He likes to point out the details and small things. He has a lot of knowledge, and he’s willing to share, which is really cool to be a part of — He’s also extremely real. He’ll keep it a rack; he won’t sugarcoat anything. Being able to have him in our corner as a vet is huge.”

Iguodala’s knowledge as an 18-year vet and a player who played a significant role in the Warriors’ title runs as a versatile defender in Golden State’s small-ball lineups has earned him the ear of the younger Warriors.

His institutional knowledge of Golden State’s playstyle and culture has helped him stay in the League just as much as his quick hands, length, and athleticism. At 38-years-old, Iggy isn’t a part of the Warriors’ long-term plan, but for the time he’s relied on to be a strong voice on the bench.

He’s been given even more leeway as a veteran and player-coach because the Warriors championship core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson trust him to help Poole, Kuminga, and Moody see what they see on the floor. Having him in their collective ear will only make playing on the biggest stage of basketball even more when it matters the most.

“He has access, not just physical access but emotional access that the coaching staff does not have,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “Frankly, there’s a trust factor that exists that can’t possibly exist between players and coaches. That’s why the role is so important. He has a different vantage point, and the guys believe in him so much, and he’s just brilliant at demanding and embracing and everything in between.”

Iggy awaits clearance for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The post Andre Iguodala’s Veteran Presence Essential to Finals Run appeared first on SLAM.

He first tore his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals; then, before coming back for the 2021 season, he tore his Achilles which forced him to sit out 132 games before hitting the floor again.

Thompson, playing in only 32 regular-season games, was able to score 20.4 points per game on and 38.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The 2022 playoffs saw Thompson average 19.8 points, knocking down 39.9 percent of three-point attempts, 45.7 percent shooting from the field, and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line.

None of the numbers have ever mattered for Thompson. All he wants to do is play basketball. His quote from Finals media day has echoed all over in recent hours and epitomized his character as both player and person.

“I’m going to enjoy every second of this, play as hard as I can, and walk away with no regrets,” Thompson told reporters on Monday.

He admitted that he never thought he would get to as many NBA Finals as he has. Thompson’s perseverance has gotten him back to familiar ground, and he will look to play a major role in the Warriors’ quest for a fourth ring with this iteration of the Golden State dynasty.

Golden State hosts Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

The post Klay Thompson Plans to ‘Enjoy Every Second’ of Sixth Finals Appearance appeared first on SLAM.

Boston’s defensive focus will mainly be on Stephen Curry, perhaps the best perimeter-oriented player in the League.

He gets to see the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Boston’s Marcus Smart, who will likely be stalking Curry the entire series. For opposing guards in the League, the assignment doesn’t get much more complex than Curry, let alone stopping him in the NBA Finals.

In an interview with Chris Haynes of YahooSports, Smart had said that guarding Curry on this stage is “special,” considering that this is also his first Finals appearance. The most important detail, as Smart noted, was getting his rest. 

“Getting sleep in this series is huge, man,” Smart told Haynes. “You know they are going to make you run. You have to put on your track shoes, and you have to be ready. So for me, it’s about being able to get my rest and a good night’s sleep. My conditioning is there to keep up with these guys, but you have to be fresh for them.”

Perhaps Boston is the best-equipped team to deal with Golden State than previous teams, given their physical nature and how tall their lineups are. Players such as Smart and Jaylen Brown will be able to match up with Curry and Klay Thompson, given their similarities with physical tools. 

The battle within the war also has some extra incentives to it as well because of the two times that Boston and Golden State met in the regular season, specifically during a Warriors-Celtics game on March 16 when Smart rolled Curry’s ankle while diving for a loose ball.

Smart is also seen as a target by players and fans because of his playstyle: a rigid, blue-collar attitude that reflects in Smart and how others perceive him. He plays as hard as anyone in the League, diving for everything on the floor, and plays perhaps the most exhilarating defense with a proud personality. Sometimes he can rub people the wrong way, but that doesn’t mean he will change to please people.

“I know I’m not the League’s favorite, I know I’m not the fan-favorite all the time, and I know I’m not a lot of people’s favorite player,” Smart suggested per Haynes. “My whole life has been like that. I’ve always been the underdog.”

This year’s Finals will be a matchup of polar opposite forces who are similar in many different ways. The Warriors are seen as the standard of the NBA, while Boston is more of an underdog team with hard-working players who fight for everything. And if Boston’s seven-game slugfest with Miami indicates anything, Golden State is in for a bumpy ride in these NBA Finals.

The post Marcus Smart Embracing Challenge of Guarding Stephen Curry Ahead of Finals appeared first on SLAM.

The three foundational members of the championship Warriors have gone through a lot since their first championship run in 2015. They’ve seen it all from failure in the Finals, teammates departing, and injuries. The journey from bottoming out in 2020 and narrowly missing the playoffs in 2021 makes this trip to the Finals all the sweeter for Curry, Green, and Thompson.

“It’s happened multiple times for me now,” Green told Marc J. Spears of Andscape after the Warriors’ practice on Monday. “You go through these moments, and you feel like you put all the work in to get through, and then you get to the moment, and the only two things I can think about once you get to the moment: No. 1, is the feeling of appreciation that I get for seeing guys that have not done it before. That first-time feeling, and just sitting there and watching them, and how they react, and how they smile, and how they appreciate that first-time feeling.

“You go through it, and you like, ‘Man, I got to feel that again.’ And the reality is you never feel it again. You go through it that first time, you never feel that way again — And so, I think for me, I get to that space, and then you just start to look around, and it just brings joy to see guys go through it for their first time.

For Green, he finds as much joy, if not more, when he sees the reactions of guys like Jordan Poole, Nemanja Bjelica, and Jonathan Kuminga, who are making their Finals run. As the Western Conference Finals trophy was moved and the Warriors celebrated their series win, Green recalled the familiar feeling of “you get to that moment after all the work that you put in, and it’s getting the trophy, and you just can’t help but think about the journey. What did it take to get here? How did this happen?”

Green also recollected being fearful of never getting that championship feeling again. Like many other past champions, Green said the only way to get that feeling back was to keep winning ‘ships. He did add one caveat, though. Winning, again and again, didn’t elicit the same feelings as the first title, but he does feel satisfied.

“Once you put yourself in the position to where you thought you would get that feeling back, it’s satisfying enough. I didn’t necessarily get that feeling that I got the first time, but I understand it now, and it’s satisfying, the feeling that I do get. The feeling of appreciation, the feeling of watching these guys for their first time experience the highest pinnacle of basketball, and their appreciation for it.”

When Game 1 of the NBA Finals kicks off on Thursday, Green recognized that the Celtics “have it on the offensive end, they have it on the defensive end.” and that Boston has been the best team in the NBA since January while also lauding their hunger for greatness and the culture they’ve built within the organization. The main thing the Warriors have to figure out, per Green, is Boston’s weakness on defense.

After learning what “the real NBA” is after two straight years of losing, Green and the Warriors are back in the spotlight and playing basketball when it matters the most. Green also said he’s back to enjoying hooping says he has “a much larger appreciation for it now than I did” since playing in the Finals “was kind of all I knew.” All in all, helping lead the Warriors to their sixth Finals trip since 2015 simply means this.

“It just shows the continuity and the focus level that we have. But most importantly, the competitive spirit and nature that we have. When we set out on this journey eight years ago, I can’t say we expected this. But we did know that we had a young group, a young core and that if we can put it together, we can be good for a very long time. And see it actually come to a fruition, it’s special.”

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Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 21-11 appeared first on SLAM.

Wow. The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years after their 120-110 series-clinching win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Warriors!

A look from inside the arena as the @warriors accept the Oscar Robertson Trophy! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/KuOKSHPmUL

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2022

The win is sweeter when you remember where the Warriors were after their 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors.

A lottery finish in 2020 and a play-in tournament flameout in 2021 wasn’t enough to stop the Warriors’ core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green from dreaming of coming back to the FInals again. The Dubs (53-29) finished the regular-season with the third-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 2021-22 campaign was highlighted by Curry becoming the all-time king in long-range shooting and Thompson’s long-awaited return.

To get to this point, the Warriors beat the Nuggets in a gentlemen sweep, outlasted the Grizzlies in six games, and beat the Mavericks in five games.

“This is a blessing,” Curry said. “Obviously, this is a team effort with what Draymond said, for us to be out the mix the last two years. To be where we belong back in the Finals — this is special.”

“Everything about it is special. . We know this isn’t the ultimate goal, but we have to celebrate this cause of all we went through these last three years.”

THEY’RE BACK!!! (via @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/2VkJClrPLg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

Game 6 Thompson (32 points on eight made threes) made an early appearance to help the Warriors close out the Mavericks on Thursday’s Game. The five-time All-Star scored 19 points on five triples, giving Golden State a 17-point lead on this dagger-three that Thompson celebrated with a Curry-like shimmy.

Klay hitting the shimmy got me LITTTTT (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/KSCf8NuMX0

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

In the second-half, Golden State grew their lead to as many as 25 points after Curry (15 points, nine assists) knocked down a floater. Luka Doncic (28 points, nine rebounds, six dimes) then woke up from his sleepy start and scored 15 points in the third frame, helping to engineer a 15-4 run that cut the deficit to eight points powered by back-to-back triples from Luka Magic.

Luka with 15 points in the 3Q pic.twitter.com/NJVAPVSzm3

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2022

However, that’s as close as Dallas would get. The Warriors scored five straight points to bring the lead back to 15, and the Golden State Big 3 of Curry, Green (17 points, six rebounds, nine assists, including seven in the fourth), and Thompson scored 15 points to close Game 6 out, with Curry and Thompson knocking down consecutive three-pointe to build a 16-point lead with 2:02 left in the game.

“You’re going to make me emotional, man,” Thompson said, smiling from corner to corner. “It’s hard to put in words — I dreamt of this day. There were some dog days, and to be here, I’m so thankful for our squad they started the season so incredibly well, allowed us to finish out strong, and we are four wins away from a championship.”

With the WCF series wrapped up, Curry became the first-ever Magic Johnson Trophy winner. The Warriors await the winner of the Heat-Celtics series, the Celtics lead the series 3-2. Golden State will host Game 1 of the FInals when they begin on June 2.

The post Golden State Advances to Sixth NBA Finals in Eight Years appeared first on SLAM.

From dominant big threes and electrifying duos to all-around greatness, here’s our top 43-33:

43. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 52-20

Roster: Gene Conley, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Bennie Swain, Lou Tsioropoulos

The greatest rivalry in NBA history began, for all practical purposes, in the spring of ’59, and it foreshadowed the decade to come. Led by veteran guard Bill Sharman’s 20.4 ppg, five Celtics averaged better than 15 ppg en route to the League’s best record. They needed seven games to dispatch Syracuse in the conference finals, setting up a first-ever Finals meeting with the Minneapolis Lakers. Three Cs averaged 20-plus, Bill Russell pulled down 22.1 boards per and Boston swept their way to the title.

42. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 60-22

Roster: Mengke Bateer, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Speedy Claxton, Tim Duncan, Danny Ferry, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Goldwire, Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Tony Parker, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Steve Smith, Kevin Willis

The Kings, Mavs, Spurs and Timberwolves all finished ahead of the three-time-defending-champion Lakers in ’02-03, but one of them would still have to beat L.A. when it mattered. Led by Tim Duncan, fresh off a second straight League MVP award, and second-year point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio got its chance in the second round and dispatched Shaq and Kobe in six games. They handled Dallas and New Jersey in similarly businesslike fashion en route to the chip.

41. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jordan Bell, Andrew Bogut, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Marcus Derrickson, Kevin Durant, Jacob Evans, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Jonas Jerebko, Damian Jones, Damion Lee, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Alfonzo McKinnie, Klay Thompson

The three-peat was never a given, but it was right there, within reach. As injury-impacted NBA championships go, this one is right up there. With Steph, KD and Klay, the Dubs were the scariest offensive team in the League; but a mix of minor and major injuries to the Splash Bros, Durant and much of the supporting cast in May and June were too much for the Dubs to overcome. Toronto got them in six games in the Finals. You just know they’d love a do-over.

40. 1993-94 Houston Rockets

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Scott Brooks, Matt Bullard, Sam Cassell, Earl Cureton, Mario Elie, Carl Herrera, Robert Horry, Chris Jent, Vernon Maxwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Richard Petruska, Eric Riley, Larry Robinson, Kenny Smith, Otis Thorpe

Go ahead and attribute Houston’s first title to Michael Jordan’s baseball flirtation. Others have done it, and it’s just wrong. The Rockets excelled at both ends of the court, had all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon and his Dream Shake in the middle and boasted a versatile lineup of fierce gamers like guards Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell and rugged Otis Thorpe. Houston outlasted the Knicks in a classic Finals series and deserves a title with no asterisk.

39. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 62-20

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Quinn Buckner, ML Carr, Carlos Clark, Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Scott Wedman

After two years of watching hated rivals Philadelphia and the Lakers hoist the trophy, Boston reclaimed its rightful spot atop the NBA. Or at least that’s how Celtics fans figured it. Call the roll: Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale were up front. Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell and Gerald Henderson handled the backcourt. The Celtics had way more regular-season victories than anyone else and won a thrilling seven-gamer over L.A. to take the title.

38. 2011-12 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 46-20

Roster: Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Eddy Curry, Mickell Gladness, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Ronny Turiaf, Dwyane Wade

Although LeBron James had taken his talents to Miami a year earlier, the Heat hadn’t won a title. In the lockout-shortened ’11-12 campaign, James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Co. changed that. The Big Three were a force all season, and a strong supporting cast helped fuel a focused postseason run. The seven-game Eastern Finals series with Boston was a grind, but the Heat dominated OKC in the Finals to take the title.

37. 1972-73 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 57-25

Roster: Dick Barnett, Henry Bibby, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, John Gianelli, Phil Jackson, Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger, Earl Monroe, Luther Rackley, Willis Reed, Tom Riker, Harthorne Wingo

If it’s possible, the Knicks five-game wipeout of L.A. in the Finals was actually an anticlimax after their thrilling Eastern Finals upset of the Celtics. The Knicks were the consummate collection of team players. Backcourt men Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe were practically unguardable. Dave DeBusschere was a force inside, while Bill Bradley patrolled the wings. Jerry Lucas was the League’s best passing big man, and Willis Reed could still hang with the best centers around.

36. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: Kobe Bryant, John Celestand, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, AC Green, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Sam Jacobson, Travis Knight, Tyronn Lue, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice,
John Salley, Brian Shaw

This was the first of three straight for the Big Brother-Little Brother Lakers. Shaq and Kobe were together for three seasons before ’99-00, and although their relationship wasn’t always the warmest, their talent was overwhelming. There was just no stopping the Diesel. O’Neal overpowered defenders and swept the boards clean, while Bryant provided offense from all over. Glen Rice was a potent outside weapon, and a cast of veteran winners completed the Laker machine.

35. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ron Boone, Marty Byrnes, Kenny Carr, Jim Chones, Michael Cooper, Don Ford, Spencer Haywood, Brad Holland, Magic Johnson, Mark Landsberger, Butch Lee, Ollie Mack, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes

Showtime made its NBA debut in Magic Johnson’s rookie season, when the 6-9 point guard brought fun back to the Lakers and kick-started perhaps the League’s most entertaining decade. Johnson revitalized center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and served as the trigger for a raucous L.A. attack that was bolstered by Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes and Jim Chones. The Lakers ruled the West and finished off Philadelphia in six, with Johnson scoring 42 in the Finals-clinching victory.

34. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Justin Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Ognjen Kuzmic, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Klay Thompson

The Warriors’ first title in 40 years—and the first of three in four seasons—was accomplished primarily by the never-ending shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, whose solution to tough defenses was simply to move back another step or two. Draymond Green handled the tough work and never backed down from a soul, while Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights did what was necessary. The Warriors dumped the Cavs in six to take the crown.

33. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers

Coach: Jack Ramsay

Record: 49-33

Roster: Corky Calhoun, Johnny Davis, Herm Gilliam, Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins, Robin Jones, Maurice Lucas, Clyde Mayes, Lloyd Neal, Larry Steele, Dave Twardzik, Wally Walker, Bill Walton

The Blazers weren’t overpowering during the regular season, but by the playoffs, they had become the perfect team, working as a highly efficient unit under coach Jack Ramsay. It all started with Bill Walton, a pivot savant who could pass, score and rebound. Maurice Lucas provided the muscle, with Lionel Hollins, Dave Twardzik, Bob Gross and Larry Steele willingly playing supporting roles. Portland overcame Julius Erving’s high-flying Sixers in the Finals with textbook unselfish basketball.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55 and 54-44.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 43-33 appeared first on SLAM.

That subsequent offseason featured a roster overhaul after two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn, and Andre Igoudala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors would also lose Klay Thompson for the first of two-and-a-half seasons after he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

The following two seasons were a far departure from the supernova of greatness NBA fans grew accustomed to for the previous five seasons. The Warriors moved to San Francisco, leaving the fan-favorite Oakland Arena for the posh new Chase Center. What followed the subsequent two regular-season campaigns was a 15-50 COVID-19 shortened season 2019-2020, punctuated by the three-month absence of Stephen Curry due to a broken hand.

“None of these people really removed us from this space,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk of the team missing the playoffs the previous two seasons. “Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, ‘All right, the Golden State Warriors’ time is up.'”

Draymond: “None of these people really removed us from this space. Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, 'All right, the Golden State Warriors' time is up.'" https://t.co/gNK8gsRYwV

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 23, 2022

The Warriors didn’t spend that season just losing; at the 2020 trade deadline, the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected first-round pick and a second-rounder. Although the Warriors weren’t invited to the Orlando Bubble, the future looked bright.

The Warriors spent the offseason going into the 2020-21 season drafting James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick. However, the Warriors’ wind got knocked out of them when Thompson tore his Achilles during a pickup game, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season.

The Warriors responded to yet another tumultuous season by qualifying for the newly-created Play-In Tournament thanks to Curry’s scoring prowess, winning his second scoring title and leading the Warriors to a 39-33 record. However, the Warriors hit a brick wall after playing so hard to get to the Play-In Tournament, ultimately losing to the Lakers and the Grizzlies for the final two spots in the playoffs.

“We didn’t leave the space because we just got too old to do it,” Green told Youngmisuk. “We didn’t leave the space because all of us went our separate ways. We left the space because Klay Thompson was out, and then he was out again, and Andre [Iguodala] wasn’t here.

“And then Steph Curry was out. We didn’t leave this space because we weren’t capable of being in the space anymore.”

Heading into this last regular-season campaign, many around the NBA believed that the Warriors would once again be title favorites when healthy. Thompson finally had his glorious on-court return, playing for the first time in 941 days in January against the Pacers. But the season was marred by injuries to Draymond Green and Curry. However, the emergence of third-year guard Jordan Poole helped offset those losses.

The Warriors (53-29) finished the regular season with the third-best record in the West. They went on to gentlemen sweep the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, beat Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies in six games, and are on the verge of zooming past another superstar in Luka Doncic and the Mavs in a sweep.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

This run is even more impressive because the Warriors have beaten the young teams and superstars who are supposed to have next as this Warriors core grows older. Even as their Western Conference foes continue to grow, none of them have close to replacing the Warriors at the top of the League they ruled for five straight seasons.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, the Warriors will have their first chance to sweep a WCF foe since 2019, when they beat the Trail Blazers to advance to that fateful 2020 NBA Finals loss. The Dubs have won nine straight conference finals games, going back to a Game 7 win against the Rockets in 2018

“For us to get back to this stage and win one playoff series, let alone where we are now, it’s not motivation,” said Curry, who finished Game 3 against Dallas with 31 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. “It’s more of an excitement that we can do it a different way.

“The motivation is that we’re back on this stage with an opportunity to chase the Finals appearance after a two-year hiatus with our core and a new cast of characters.”

The post Draymond Green Speaks On the Warriors’ Two-Year Playoff Hiatus appeared first on SLAM.

31 PTS | 5 REB | 11 AST@StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/GBOXfHWNaD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

Andrew Wiggins followed Curry up with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 11-20 shooting from the field, including this insane poster dunk on Luka Doncic that gave the Warriors a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Wiggins slam was initially called an offensive foul but was counted as a bucket after Coach Steve Kerr successfully protested otherwise.

“He hasn’t had the opportunity to be on the stage before,” Curry said. “With the confidence that we have as a team and the ability to come out here and prove who he is as a player in games that matter and I always say ‘just find ways to impact winning,’ he’s figured that out.

Wiggins with the poster on Luka .

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/RgHjDk8a61

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors’ other starters were in rhythm and flowed throughout Game 3. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, Kevon Looney contributed nine points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, and Draymond Green posted 10 points, five rebounds, and five dimes. Not to mention the 10 points and five rebounds effort from Jordan Poole.

The Mavs’ apparent game plan to stretch the floor and match the Warrior’s firepower with a barrage of three-pointers fell flat on its face. Dallas made just 13-45 triples on Sunday, with Luka Magic’s first-quarter buzzer-beating three bringing the Dallas fans to their feet. The Mavericks’ two long-range snipers, Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, struggled on Sunday, missing all 12 of their combined long-range attempts.

The first half of Sunday’s Game 3 was a roller coaster ride for the WCF foes. The Warriors led by as many as 12 in the first quarter, while the Mavs led by as many as nine. The Warriors took over and sustained that effort over the long haul after ending the half on a 15-5 run.

With a look-away three-pointer, Curry put a bow on the Warriors’ first-half effort. Curry’s bucket irritated Doncic, who promptly exchanged words with Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson. After officials stepped in to claim the situation down, a confused Curry asked Doncic what happened. The two superstars cleared the air, with Green eventually playing peacemaker when the conversation ran its course.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors controlled the tempo and continued to keep Dallas at bay. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, at the 1:15 mark, in fact, that the Mavs made the game close with a Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points) triple to cut the Warriors’ lead to five points. Poole promptly slammed the door shut on any comeback bid with a triple from the left wing to cement the Warriors’ nine-point win.

POOLE PARTY pic.twitter.com/gLIZCIf1tu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

The last time the Warriors swept a WCF series was in 2019 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They lost the 2019 NBA Finals to the Raptors in six games. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.

“When you’re up 2-0, and you come on the road, to stranglehold control of the series, that’s huge. It’s a good feeling to know that we came in and gotta win, and then we can play with house money on Tuesday and try to get a dub,” Curry said.

The post Stephen Curry Scores 31 to Lead Warriors to 109-100 Win and 3-0 Series Over Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

In the first half, the Splash Bros couldn’t throw a penny in the ocean, combining to hit 1-9 three-pointers in the first half. Klay Thompson himself didn’t score until early in the second half. Only Curry could get something going, scoring 10 points in the first, including the Splash Bro’s one made triple through the first 24 minutes of Game 1.

“A little ugly in the first quarter, but our defense, our focus, our multiple efforts made it tough on them. We got momentum, and our offense clicked. We got a lot of separation, so we did what we’re supposed to do.” Curry said during his on-tv interview after the final buzzer.

A whole mood: (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5EE7VqXZDb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 19, 2022

From there, Curry and Thompson turned in vintage performances during the second half. After Luka Doncic (20 points, seven rebounds, four assists) hit back-to-back triples late in the first half to cut Golden State’s lead to 54-45 at the break, Curry then responded, sparking a 10-2 run with two quick three-pointers to begin the third quarter while Thompson scored all 15 of his points in the second half.

Five of the Warriors scored in double digits on the more glamorous side, including Jordan Poole (19 points) and Otto Porter Jr. (10 points, six rebounds).

The Warriors will look to get a 2-0 lead in the WCF when they face Dallas on Thursday in San Francisco.

The post Steph Curry on Taking Game 1 of the WCF: ‘We Did What We Were Supposed to Do’ appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Magic had led the Mavs to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2011, when Dallas won their first NBA title. Following their first conference finals practice on Tuesday, Doncic and the Mavs have loved life and enjoyed getting to work the greatest job in the world, playing basketball. When Dallas faces off against the Golden State Warriors, they’ll be playing with house money and less pressure than the Dubs.

“I’m living my best life – a dream,” Doncic said. “Before Game 7, I said this might be my last game of the NBA season, but I was ready. I wanted to play basketball.

“Tomorrow is another basketball game that I’ll enjoy. I get to play at least four (more games). You never know, so I’m just happy to be playing basketball. It’s incredible.”

Doncic has been deep in his bag through the Mavericks playoff run, as un-guardable as he’s ever been. Honestly, Doncic getting a bucket is as inevitable as Thanos is. In their seven-game series win against Phoenix Suns, Luka Legend averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game, scoring 30+ three times, starting the series off with some fireworks after dropping 45 points in 44 minutes.

When the Mavs take on the Dubs, Doncic will have to figure out to solve a defense headlined by Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. The Mavs will surely attempt to force a Doncic-Stephen Curry matchup off a switch to counteract those potentially tough matchups. When the Mavs and Warriors played on March 3, Doncic finished the 122-113 win with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and nine dimes.

Will double-teams work in slowing down Doncic? Luka Magic won’t tell.

“Then, everybody would play that defense,” he said. “For me, I’ll probably see a couple more double team this series, and that’s fine. We faced double teams the whole season. I think we play the best when they double team – four-on-three basketball in the NBA. We have a lot of great players.”

When Doncic finally faces the playoff defense of the Warriors, Coach Jason Kidd is confident the three-time All-Star will find a way to figure out the different looks Coach Steve Kerr will throw at Doncic to slow down the superstar point guard. Because Doncic has faced so many different coverages since playing in Europe and the NBA, he’s not worried about what Luka Legend will do because “The bigger it gets, the better he plays. So hopefully, that’s what happens for us.”

Doncic is most looking forward to being defended by Green, who has a DPOY in his name and has embraced the challenge of slowing down superstars like Doncic throughout this career. It will be interesting to see how Green, Thompson, and Wiggins counteract Luka Legends’ isolation prowess, Doncic being great at playing at his own speed, and his ability to throw passes out of the post to his snipers around the perimeter.

“I have so much respect for Draymond,” Doncic said. “Obviously, Klay and Steph are incredible, but I think the key to the Warriors’ team is Draymond.

“He’s just unbelievable, and I really respect him. He impacts the game in every other category.”

Game 1 of the WCF between the Mavs and Warriors will undoubtedly be primetime viewing on Tuesday night. Especially with Dallas being able to lose and freely fresh off their Game 7 blowout over the Suns. All the pressure will be on the Warriors, who are likely the favorite to win the series and advance to their fifth NBA Finals since 2015.

The post Luka Doncic Thinks Draymond Green is the ‘Key’ to the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Poole has put it all together during the Warriors’ playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Through 11 career playoff games, Poole has logged at least 30 points twice, scoring a then playoff career-high 30 points in his first playoff game against Denver. Poole eclipsed that mark in the second round, scoring 31 points in a Game 1 win of the Memphis-Golden State series.

The court is Jordan Poole's canvas.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/TXiDBrsQu4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 19, 2022

“We saw the potential. But when we Draft players [late in the first round], realistically, it’s really hard to know where it’s going to go. We thought it was possible, but we didn’t know he would reach it. But credit to him and the coaching staff that put the time in to perfect his craft. I’m happy for him that he’s showcasing this on a big stage, showing his skillset and fitting in with guys that are leading him.” Meyers said.

The development of Poole has made Meyers look good once again. Especially since he was able to get Poole so late in the draft, in his third season in the NBA, Poole has proven he can be the third Splash Brother and a safety valve for the Dubs when Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson is struggling.

“He’s been great, and I don’t know if we’d be where we are without him. It’ll be interesting to see where it all keeps going. It’s a great experience, but he’s never been in the playoffs before this year. That’s what you want from any young player — to taste the playoffs and get a sense of it. A lot of players play a long career and don’t get this far. For him to be this young and get an opportunity, it’s really very valuable.”

Love everything about this play, Jordan Poole is fun to watch.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/PBbvUyESi8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2022

Because Poole has made himself so indispensable, he’s been able to be a part of the Warriors’ most efficient small-ball lineup featuring Curry, Thompson, himself, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green.

When it comes to Poole’s next step, that’ll be seen when the Warriors take on the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. It bodes well that regardless of starting or coming off the bench, heavy workload or not, Poole remains consistent in being a shot-creator and playmaker alongside the Warriors’ Big 3. When Meyers was asked where he sees Poole going from here, he just stated the Warriors had needed him, and he’s answered the call to perform every time.

“Each round gets harder, but it’s all informative. You look for consistency, confidence, and skill. The playoffs are the most informative time of the year. You can’t hide during the playoffs. It’s just too competitive, too physical, and too high level. As an executive, it’s the best time to evaluate your team, assuming that you are healthy. If you don’t make it to the playoffs, it’s hard to know much. But if you do, it’s fantastic because you get to see what’s what. With Jordan, it’s another chance to watch him grow. He’s answered the bell: Started, not started, played big minutes, played fewer minutes. Credit to him for always being ready. We’re going to definitely need him in this round, and however far we can go.”

The post Bob Meyers Saw ‘the Potential’ in Jordan Poole From the Draft appeared first on SLAM.

The clutch win helps complete the Warriors’ revamp from missing the playoffs to regaining their luster this season. The season could be considered a success just because Thompson finally played his first game since losing nearly three years of his career due to a torn ACL and Achilles tear he suffered in back-to-back seasons.

“I knew it became routine in the 2010s for the Dubs, but that’s a special special opportunity. We do not take that lightly; we’re gonna keep our feet up the next couple days. Watch this Suns-Mavs Game 7. Get the popcorn ready. But it’s just—it’s so special; I’m gonna enjoy it tonight, and I’m going to be hungry when that time comes cause you can’t take it for granted. Nothing is guaranteed in sports.

Game 6 Klay ain’t nuthin’ to mess with.

30 PTS | 8-14 3PM | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/yaHS1j59LR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

Out of Thompson’s eight three-pointers, none seemed to feel more satisfying than the 28-footer he hit to give the Warriors a 13-point lead with just under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Just one minute later, Stephen Curry hit a triple from the left corner to increase the lead to 16. The back-to-back daggers capped off a 32-point fourth quarter to escape with a WCF berth.

“Today, I was thinking about the last couple years and what this team has been through, and to have another closeout game at Chase Center, it gave me butterflies. I was nervous all day, but I was just having so much fun tonight, and I’m proud of this team for being so resilient.

Built for Game 6. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/HQ4RmPyRIl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

The setup going into the pivotal final frame was the Warriors nearly giving away the game due to some poor decision-making (22 turnovers) and tough shot-making from Desmond Bane (25 points, seven rebounds) and Dillon Brooks (30 points). Their performances were matched by Andrew Wiggins, who finished Game 6 with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Draymond Green contributed 14 points, 15 boards, and eight dimes.

The solution to the Warriors’ messy play was a monumental fourth-quarter effort where they outpaced the Grizzlies with a 10-0 run to give the Dubs a 97-89 lead at the 5:04 mark. The lead ballooned to as much as 16 after Curry nailed a stepback J late in the fourth quarter, sending San Franciso into a frenzy, while Memphis took a punch to the chin that ended their memorable season and launched them back into the limelight.

Golden State will have four days to enjoy their win, and they will face the winner of the Phoenix-Dallas series next week.

The post Game 6 Klay Thompson Leads Warriors to Conference Finals appeared first on SLAM.

As the League celebrates it’s 75th anniversary, there’s quite a few Top 75 lists out there already. In fact, we’ve got quite a few of our own, from SLAM’s Top 75 Players of All Time Special Issue to most recently our Top 75 NBA Teams of All Time (shop here). We could’ve easily left it at that, but after checking out Tracy McGrady’s new Ones Basketball 1-on-1 League, we started thinking about the best 1-on-1 NBA players of all time.

So, we decided to have some fun with it and put together a bold list, categorized based on height, of all of the names that should be included in that conversation.

6-3 AND BELOW

1. Allen Iverson
A one-man revolution where the cross was just the beginning. He’s the master mixer on
our list for a reason.

2. Kyrie Irving
Hang it in the Louvre. KAI’s game is entirely its own art form.

3. Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time needs just a sliver of space to make you pay, all while
staring down the crowd as the ball drops through the net. Uncanny.

4. Derrick Rose
Athleticism that was unparalleled and the nonexistence of fear had D. Rose bullying the
League as the youngest MVP ever.

5. Chris Paul
A mid range savant. A floor general. A Point God.

6. Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was lethal, tactical and surgical in leaving defenders guessing what portion
of the bag was about to be unleashed.

7. Damian Lillard
You can pick him up, but what comes next is entirely on you.

8. Russell Westbrook
Shot out of a cannon, if No. 0 is barrelling down the court, you best clear the runway.

9. Isiah Thomas
Lower to the ground just meant more ways to attack as the handle powered the
creativity that No. 11 enacted on his way to snagging two.

10. Jerry West
The Logo was constantly carving up defenses to drop buckets and dimes left and right.

11. Ja Morant
The ascension has been recognized. Call 12, and he’s always gonna answer.

12.Baron Davis
A blend of everything. Baron gave birth to the uber athletic displays of guard play that
we’ve become enthralled with over the years.

13. Trae Young
There’s a new villain in town and he’ll take your heart and your team’s straight to the
offseason.

14. Tiny Archibald
Ain’t nothing tiny about this man’s game. Nothing.

15. Stephon Marbury
The inspiration behind one of the greatest hoops flicks of all time attacked the game entirely on his own terms.

16. Tim Hardaway Sr
Having a killer crossover named after you is a mic drop moment.

17. CJ McCollum
The slipperiest shooting guard in the L. Shaking and baking is his M.O

18. Deron Williams
D Will mastered his own pace to the game. Separation was key and once he created it, you might as well just head back down for O.

19. Donovan Mitchell
Picking up this man is like taking a trip throughout the Spida-Verse, sprawling, spinning and overstimulated with flashes of colorful creativity and blinding moves.

20. Jrue Holiday
Always reliable, always locked in, always ready to pull it in your eye. Second-guessing is the greatest compliment a hooper can recognize and Jrue sees it often.

21. Steve Francis
Constantly sending defenders stumbling, Steve Francis doesn’t often get his due as one of the shiftiest guards to ever step on the hardwood.

22. Tony Parker
Some speed is built, some is gifted. TP’s froze defenders in a picture frame as he weaved around the paint for dimes and buckets.

23. Kemba Walker
We know y’all remember THE step back. Nuff said.

24. Chauncey Billups
Decidedly different. Big guard, big body, big buckets.

25. John Wall
Revolutionary athleticism instilled John Wall as the next box-office point guard. Go do your Google searches and watch his mixtapes to see what we’re seeing.

26. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is too smooth with it: a certified bucket, 3x NBA Sixth Man Player of the Year and a derserver of the utmost respect. 

27. Monta Ellis
Those 360 layups were just a regular thing for Monta Ellis. That’s what type of time he was on. 

28. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel was waaaaaay too quick with it, from the crossovers to the high-flying drives to the lane to those insane dishes and dimes.

29. Jamal Murray
We’ve already told you this before: there’s music in Jamal Murray’s game. Try not to get lost in the melody, though, because he will drop 50 on you. Again and again.

30. Brandon Jennings
Dropping 55 points as a rookie is quite the statement, but then again, Brandon Jennings was never one to shy away from any moment. His game was too electric.

6-4 TO 6-8 

1. Michael Jordan
   The greatest. Put MJ in any situation, matchup or moment and you already know the outcome. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Kobe Bryant
   He was constantly ascending past the depths of what competing truly meant. He knew your next move before you’d even had a chance to formulate the thought.

3. Tracy McGrady
   Scoring 13 points in 33 seconds is wild, but that’s just what T-Mac was about. One of the most complete scorers in the history of the Association.

4. Carmelo Anthony
   The fadeaway. The jab step. The spot-up jump shot, and his signature “washing machine” spin move. Carmelo Anthony remains one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers of all time. 

5. Kawhi Leonard
   Best believe, any matchup against the Klaw will result in him getting the last laugh. Trying to defend him in a 1v1? Now that’s pure comedy. 

6. Dwyane Wade
   The nickname was fitting: the Flash was one of most elite and efficient shooting guards who attacked the basket with an explosiveness that couldn’t possibly be contained. 

7. James Harden
   Equipped with a signature-move so iconic, a few names on this list have tried it out, the Beard is truly lethal with the rock in his hands.

8. Julius Erving
   A wizard who truly transcended the game. Every move was a symphony of basketball played at its finest. 

9. Charles Barkley
   A relentlessly physical rebounder with an attitude to match, Sir Charles was a force to be reckoned with.

10. Devin Booker
    With the words “Be Legendary” tattooed on his forearm, D-Book has continued to transcend his game towards just that no matter if he’s pullin’ up from midrange or hitting clutch shots from deep. 

11. Scottie Pippen
    One of the game’s greats could really do it all, from dishing out dimes and orchestrating an offense to snagging boards and holding it down on the defensive end. Versatility at it’s finest.  

12. Paul George
    PG’s all-around game is just one of the many things that define his greatness. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot is another.

13. Paul Pierce
    The Truth can be hard for many to accept, but his dominance was nothing but pure facts. Shaquille O’Neal had a thing for nicknames, and when Paul Pierce dropped 42 on the Lakers in ’01, Shaq went over to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and told him to write this down: “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out.” Enough said.

14. DeMar DeRozan
    The King of the Fourth is a true revolutionary when it comes to the art of the midrange.

15. Jimmy Butler
    They call him Jimmy Buckets for a reason. That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

16. Jayson Tatum
    JT moves different out there on the parquet floor, from the lethal step back and sidestep threes to the sheer dominance every time the rock touches his hands. That’s what happens when you’re mentored by none other than the Mamba.

17. Vince Carter
    Once Vince Carter got within eyesight of that line, it was over before it had even begun.

18. Zion Williamson
    You can’t be contained when the limits never existed. The same goes in the paint, or anywhere on the floor, when it comes to Zion Williamson. 

19. Penny Hardaway
    One of the greatest guards ever. That spin fake into a stepback, move? Pure magic.

20. Luka Doncic
    Luka plays at his own pace while completely dominating in the process. Different.

21. Dominique Wilkins
    With legs like propellers and arms that could absorb contact, Nique had underrated shot-making ability that went along with his otherworldly athleticism. 

22. Grant Hill 
    Versatility in a human being. Grant Hill was a threat to score from all three levels.

23. Elgin Baylor
    Surrender the skies to Elgin Baylor. Aerially gifted with merciless finishes at the rim.

24. George Gervin
    Smooth, refined, patient, disciplined and measured. Ice’s game was where fundamental met flash.

25. Alex English
    Nobody scored more points in the 1980s than Alex English. Nobody.

26. Joe Johnson
    His nickname is Iso Joe. Nothing more needs to be said.

27. Bradley Beal
    Bradley Beal technically has a perfect jumpshot. Pair that exquisite form with his handles and the result is a scoring machine.

28. Klay Thompson
    One of the best shooters ever is also a big body that precisely clamps players of all heights and weights.

29. Gary Payton
    Possibly the best perimeter defender to ever play, Gary Payton could also get to the tin whenever he wanted.

30. Jamal Crawford
    Jamal Crawford is creativity unleashed through instinct and intellect.

6-9 AND UP

1. Shaquille O’Neal
   The most physically dominant player ever. Realistically, there’s nobody stopping the Diesel.

2. Kevin Durant
   Size, skills, smarts. There have been very few other players that are more offensively complete than Kevin Durant.

3. LeBron James
   The case can be made that LeBron James is the best player ever. Full stop.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
   Try guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo without any help defense. Get the picture?

5. Kevin Garnett
   The only part of Kevin Garnett’s game that outshined his skills on both sides of the ball was his competitiveness, a trait that’s gone nearly unmatched throughout history.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon
   Possibly the best two-way center ever, who dominated with equal doses of agility and nimbleness, power and force.

7. David Robinson
   Dunks and jumpers with the left, blocks and steals with both of his hands and a compressed trampoline in his right leg, David Robinson’s basketball IQ was just as ridiculous as his athletic capabilities.

8. Karl Malone
   Brute strength. Left side of the post to the right side of the hoop every single time. Never could be stopped.

9. Wilt Chamberlain
   Scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points for a season and if blocks and steals were tallied when he played, Wilt Chamberlain’s mythic status would be even greater than it already is.

10. Joel Embiid
    Joel Embiid is a guard stuck inside a 7-2, 280-pound body.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    The author of the game’s most unstoppable shot, its leading scorer and a shot-blocking terror.

12. Larry Bird
    Larry Bird was so good at scoring that he would tell bigger, stronger and more athletic defenders exactly what he planned to do with the ball and they still couldn’t contain him.

13. Anthony Davis
    Middies, catch-and-shoot threes, barrels to the rim, pick-and-roll ball containment, weakside shot-blocking and passing lane invader properly describes Anthony Davis.  

14. Moses Malone
    Quite possibly the most underrated great in NBA history, Moses Malone was unstoppable from the block and even if he did miss, he’d consume offensive rebounds with such ferocity that the ensuing putbacks would be uncontested.

15. Dirk Nowitzki
    It’s real when a singular shot is credited to a player. Basketball now has the one-legged fadeaway thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

Subscribe to the official podcast of the basketball bible, SLAM’s “No Pump Fakes.”

Follow host Theus McBee on Instagram @theuselijah and Ahmad Smith, @akisnba.

The post SLAM’s Official Top 75 Greatest 1-on-1 NBA Players of All Time List appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State could’ve easily folded but their veteran will allowed them to erase a seven-point deficit and outscore Memphis 39-29 in the final frame, setting the scene for Stephen Curry to give the Warriors their first lead of the game with 45.7 seconds left. Curry subsequently sealed the deal with eight free throws over that same time period.

Stephen led the way for Golden State with a game-high 32 PTS. Game 4 belonged to Dub Nation.

(via @warriors)pic.twitter.com/Cs9I1IeJNp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 10, 2022

As you can see, the championship pedigree of Golden State will never not be tested, but the proud franchise has won 20 playoff series since 2013. The Warriors know anything can happen in the playoffs with a 3-1 lead (see: 2016 NBA Finals) which is why the Dubs will rely on their championship will to eliminate the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The second half of the Splash Brothers and another playoff tested veteran Klay Thompson, kept the 3-1 lead in perspective.

“Wednesday’s going to be the hardest one yet,” Thompson said per the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “It always is. The closeout.”

The post Klay Thompson Says Closeout Game 5 Will Be the ‘Hardest One Yet’ appeared first on SLAM.

Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (right knee) is likely to miss Game 4 vs. Warriors, coach Taylor Jenkins says.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 8, 2022

However, Morant is now listed as doubtful on the injury report for Game 4. He was seen walking into the Grizzlies shootaround on Monday morning, but according to Mark Medina, he was in street clothes and didn’t participate in “any on-court work.” Medina also reported that the Grizzlies are still “working through” Morant’s injury while declining to share any details on Morant’s MRI results.

Morant is currently on the injury report as doubtful for game four. https://t.co/RQPCv0MbSN

— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) May 9, 2022

The Grizzlies were 20-5 when Morant wasn’t in the lineup this season. Something that Coach Steve Kerr gave Memphis plenty of credit for.

“They’re a hell of a team — They’re really deep.”

Steve Kerr on if Ja Morant doesn't play for the Grizzlies tonight: "Memphis went 20-5 without him. They're a hell of a team. … They're really deep."

— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) May 9, 2022

The controversy behind Morant’s injury has picked up quite a bit with Morant, in a since-deleted tweet, calling out Jordan Poole and the Warriors for “going against the code,” something Kerr rallied around after Gary Payton II suffered a fractured elbow during Game 2. The injury might’ve occurred after Jordan Poole accidentally grabbed at Morant’s knee while attempting to force a turnover.

Some fans had fought back against the narrative, claiming that the injury more than likely occurred earlier when Morant collided with Klay Thompson as he attempted to close out on Splash Brothers’ long-distance attempt. Some even pointed out that Morant tripped Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP drove past him. When Thompson heard about Morant’s claim, he laughed, outright dismissing the notion Poole could do that.

“I don’t even think he’s strong enough to affect somebody’s knee,” Thompson said. “We’re not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break.”

Klay Thompson started laughing when he heard Ja Morant tweeted that Jordan Poole broke the code.

"I don't even think he's strong enough to affect somebody's knee. We're not out there trying to hurt people, or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break." pic.twitter.com/Srz8FZurJ1

— Sam Hustis (@SamHustis) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies and Warriors will lock horns on Monday, with the Warriors looking to take a 3-1 series lead with a Game 4 win.

The post Ja Morant (Knee) Listed as Doubtful for Game 4 appeared first on SLAM.

The 47-point effort Morant put on the veteran Warriors feels as inevitable as Thanos collecting the infinity stones. Each bucket felt heavier and heavier as it fell through the nylon. The Murray State product made 15-31 field goal attempts, knocked down 5-12 triples, and hit 12-13 free throws. Can’t forget the eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals he collected, either.

The newly crowned Most Improved Player award winner started the night off hot, scoring 21 points and five dimes in the first half, punctuating his Hulk-like evening with a hammer in transition. Morant’s athletic exploits are well-chronicled at this point, and when you’re that athletic and explosive, the main question fellow hoopers and media will ask is, where is the jumper?

The Warriors’ decision to make Morant beat them as a shooter didn’t pay off on Tuesday didn’t pay off as Morant trusted his jump shot when the Warriors sagged off him in the lane; the 2022 All-Star matched the sure-fire Splash Brothers in made three-pointers. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to bury 5-23 shots from beyond the arc against the Grizzlies’ lengthy and physical perimeter defense for the night.

Stepback 12

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/9agrz2sMNd

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 4, 2022

Speaking of Curry, Morant outdueled the former MVP once again in Game 2. Morant scored the final 15 points of the night, hitting a three, and walked Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins down the lane for two tough finishes on a pair of isolation possessions in the final two and a half minutes. Morant also sank a floater to give the Warriors a 104-101 lead and then the final free-throws of the night to seal the Grizzlies’ series-tying win.

“Definitely big time,” Morant said per ESPN. “I felt like this was a must-win game for us. For me, I was frustrated with myself missing that layup in Game 1.

As if 47 points wasn’t INCREDIBLE enough, @JaMorant scored the final 15 points to lead the @memgrizz to the Game 2 win and even the series at 1-1! #GrindCity pic.twitter.com/4sUG8KZSaL

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2022

The Grizzlies-Warriors series heads back to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday. After Game 1, Curry let Morant know this second-round matchup would be a battle but fun. As the Grizzlies celebrated their hard-fought win, Morant returned the favor as the two superstars walked past each other.

“I was able to return that message tonight — I am having a lot of fun.”

JA DROPS 4⃣7⃣

GRIZZLIES EVEN UP THE SERIES #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/IJXeDcpQaP

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2022

The post Ja Morant on His 47-Point Outing: ‘This Was a Must-Win For Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

Green has even gone to social media to make a case that other players, who don’t necessarily have the same reputation for the physical play he does, should be kicked after Player A accidentally kicked Player B in the groin or Player C committed a hard foul on Player D.

When the Inside the NBA crew questioned him about his aggressiveness, he reminded the legendary basketball media crew that the Warriors still won thanks to the collective defensive effort of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who both got clutch defensive stops against Ja Morant late in the fourth quarter to secure their tight win and the hot scoring of Jordan Poole who scored a team-high 31 points.

“We won the game,” Green said.

That doesn’t negate the fact that the Warriors and Green need each other. The former DPOY missed two months due to a back injury, and without the Michigan State product in the lineup, the Warriors went from 34-12 when Green played to 19-17 without him.

In the 17 minutes Green played in Game 1, he posted six points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Without Green on the floor, Poole, Kevon Looney, Jonathon Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., and Andrew Wiggins picked up the slack on the rebounding side, helping the Warriors win the rebound battle 50-47. The Grizzlies led the League in rebounding, corraling 49.2 boards per game; in the playoffs, they bring down 46.4.

“That’s what it takes when you lose a guy,” Green said.

In the meantime, the Warriors and Green will have to contend with Green’s physical play and a looming suspension if Green picks up another Flagrant 2 foul. League rules state if a player picks up four flagrant foul points, one point for a Flagrant 1 and two for a Flagrant 2.

The last time those rules reared their ugly heads in the playoffs for the Warriors was Game 5 of the infamous 2016 NBA Finals, which Green missed due to picking up a Flagrant 2 and his fourth point in the previous game. The Cleveland Cavaliers used his absence to spark a 3-1 comeback, the first time a team climbed back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.

Defiant as ever, Green won’t allow those memories to deter him from playing hard. He also expressed some frustration with the flagrant foul system.

“My reputation is a badge of honor,” he said. “Not everybody can earn that reputation. So, life goes on. I’m never going to change the way I play basketball. It’s gotten me this far: Three championships, four All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year. Not gonna change that.”

“There’s a lot of things in this league that are probably old and outdated and (don’t) make sense, and people are too lazy to go change things; there’s a laundry list of things that are old, and they worked in the ‘60s, but they probably don’t work today, but people are too lazy to go change them.”

Game 2 of the Warriors-Grizzles story takes place in Memphis on Tuesday.

The post Draymond Green Insists He Won’t Change Playstyle: ‘My Reputation is a Badge of Honor’ appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: There is momentum toward the Golden State Warriors having their most lethal lineup as the starting five tonight vs. Denver in Game 5 – Stephen Curry back in, with Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. Final decision to be made today.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2022

The starting five Coach Steve Kerr is expected to put out on the floor would be Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green. A final decision will be made ahead of tipoff for Game 5 in Denver.

The lineup of Curry, Poole, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green is considered their most potent through the 32 minutes and four games they’ve played together. Their offensive rating is 147.8, and defensively they post a 113.4 rating.

Since Curry returned ahead of Game 1 from a foot sprain, he suffered midway through March. In the four games since, he’s come off the bench, averaging 27.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 28.0 minutes per game.

The post REPORT: Stephen Curry Returning to the Starting Lineup For Game 5 appeared first on SLAM.

The Denver Nugget hung on to beat the Warriors, 126-121 to force a Game 5 on Wednesday night. Jokic was the orchestrator on offense, as usual, putting up 37 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, but it was his leadership and basketball I.Q. that was the difference.

Nikola Jokic had it rolling from tip-off, scoring 18 of the @nuggets first 23 points on his way to 37 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists to force Game 5! #MileHighBasketball

Game 5: GSW vs DEN, Wed. 10pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/ACg4mKCwkY

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2022

Jokic, who averaged 29.3 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists over the first three games of the series, dropped 18 points in the first quarter that almost matched the Warriors entire total.

These two plays down the stretch helped sealed it for his Nuggets. First, he warned his teammates about a Warriors lob play from out of bounds that led to a turnover with just over 30 seconds left to go in the game…

Jokic called out the play from the bench #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on ABC pic.twitter.com/e3gQkSHyas

— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2022

Then his drive and kick to Will Barton in the left corner led to the clincher off a perfect pass to send it to Game 5.

WILL W THE DAGGER TO FINISH pic.twitter.com/cuPC9anvuX

— x – Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 24, 2022

Although 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs has never bounced back to win a series, Denver is the only team to overcome 3-1 deficits, having beaten the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers two years ago in the bubble. Jokic believes that is enough cause to have faith via ESPN.

“The odds are against us. But we’ve beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?”

The post ‘The Odds are Against Us’: Nikola Jokic Leads Nuggets to Game 4 Win appeared first on SLAM.

The one issue that remains is the Golden State backcourt. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole are still hot, and each was on fire in Game 3.

Steph
Klay
JP
BUCKETS. pic.twitter.com/cKcxHKYLe2

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 22, 2022

Curry and Poole each finished with 27 points apiece, and Thompson dropped 26 points on his own to cancel out a monster 37-point, 18 rebound game by Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 118-113. The Warriors now lead 3-0 in their first-round series with a chance to sweep over the weekend.

The three guards have led a small ball lineup that has been the difference in this series. Each player has had their chance to shine individually and collectively throughout this series. In Game 1, Jordan Poole got rolling with a historic start. Then it was Curry who exploded in Game 2 to eclipse the playoff career 3,000 point mark while scoring a game-high 34 points in only 23 minutes.

In Game 3, all three made history. Thompson passed Ray Allen for third all-time in playoff three-pointers made. Chef Curry passed James Worthy for 26th on the playoff scoring list. As for Jordan Poole, he became the first guard since the merger to score 25 Pts on 60 percent shooting in three straight playoff games. Jerry West, Lou Hudson, and Brian Winters were the only guards to have done it in history, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole are the 3rd trio in Warriors history to each record 25 points and 50% shooting in a playoff game and the first since 1989.

1989: Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond & Terry Teagle

1958: Neil Johnston, Paul Arizin & Tom Gola pic.twitter.com/wJbmus6noh

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 22, 2022

All three became the first trio in franchise history to record 25 points on 50 percent shooting and the first to do since Chris Mullin, Mitch Redmond, and Terry Teagle did so in 1989.

“He looks like a seasoned vet,” Thompson said about Poole via Yahoo Sports. “The shots he’s been making and taking, he’s kind of been our catalyst on offense. JP, I’ve seen him put in so much work behind the scenes that he deserves this.

“I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Not only is Thompson enjoying his teammate’s play but the opportunity to be back on the floor with his teammates in general.

“So much,” he said when asked how much he missed playoff games on the road. “It’s what you dream of, it’s what you prepare for and I don’t take granted nights like these. That was a ton of fun and just a gutsy win by our squad.

“Everything I worked for the past two years has come to fruition. I’m just incredibly grateful to be here and having fun.”

Golden State will try to close out the series on Sunday.

The post Golden State Warriors Take Command Of Series With Backcourt Brilliance appeared first on SLAM.

After a couple of seasons riddled with injuries and player development, the Warriors started their first playoff run in three years with a newer, more exciting version and have added another shooter to the mix.

The Denver Nuggets have had no answers to defending the Warriors when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and the newest addition, Jordan Poole, have shared the floor. Golden State has gone for momentum-stealing runs in the first two games that have changed momentum or put the game out of reach.

Jordan Poole drops a behind-the-back dime to Klay in transition

The @warriors are on a roll in Q2!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/zsLzLaJyTf

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2022

This combination played only five minutes together in Game 1, but they outscored Denver by 14 points to shift the momentum sparking their 123-107 win. In Game 2, they played another five minutes, which led them to move the momentum to their side going into the second half.

After falling behind 43-31 in the second quarter, the Warriors erased that deficit by halftime with runs of 16-0 and 23-4 late to take a 57-51 lead at the break. The trend is not lost on Thompson, who forecasted this type of performance after Game 1.

“It’s a scary sight when we really get going,” Thompson said. “This is really only our first time really playing together.”

The story of this series so far has been Jordan Poole. Poole had yet another strong performance after a historic performance in Game 1, scoring 29 points while putting on another dazzling display that had the Chase Center crowd rocking!

Jordan Poole was dropping dimes and buckets in Game 2 to lift the @warriors to the 2-0 series lead! #DubNation

Poole: 29 PTS (10-16 FGM), 5 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL, 5 3PM

Warriors vs. Nuggets Game 3: Thurs. 10pm/et on TNT#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/STMdXEiLIm

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2022

While the running joke around the team is will Curry ever get back in the starting lineup, SC30 was very impressed with Poole’s play to start the playoffs.

“He doesn’t lack confidence,” Curry said per ESPN. “That play embodied it. Because you just have the creativity and confidence in yourself to make that play. You don’t second-guess yourself. You kind of live with the results, and we’ve done it for years, and he’s stepping into that now. It’s fun to see.”

Game 3 of this, the Warriors-Nuggets series shifts to Denver on Thursday.

The post Warriors Unlock Next Level With New Small Ball Lineup Featuring Jordan Poole appeared first on SLAM.

One of just a couple dozen players in the G League and NBA to have played college basketball outside Division I, Demers’ mere presence in the G League cuts against conventional knowledge that the best basketball players can all be found at the top of high school recruiting lists and draft boards. He averaged 8.1 points and 1.2 assists in his first season as a pro in the G League. 

For a professional athlete, Demers is surprisingly unassuming. A 6-1 shooting guard who likes to golf and hang with his family, Demers is easy to hang with. Michael Rejniak, Demer’s coach with team We Are D3 in the TBT remembers when Demers first walked into the pre-tournament workouts. “Eric might be the last guy you pick, like, from a visual viewpoint to be the G Leaguer. But he is.”

Looking out onto the court where players he used to watch on ESPN warm up, the Gordon College alum points out that he’s “the one guy in the G League that has loans.” Division III rules do not allow schools to offer athletic scholarships, and at nearly $40,000 a year, Gordon’s tuition is nothing to scoff at. Ask him if he would change his path to the G-League, though, and Demers will tell you that he wouldn’t change a thing.

During his senior year at Gordon College, Demers led the nation in scoring with 32.4 points per game, dropping 42 against Hartford in an exhibition game, his only Division I opponent that year. Last summer, he went off for 25 points in his TBT debut for team We Are D3, off the bench. 

Rejniak proudly calls Demers “one of the best shooters I’ve had the pleasure to coach,” while Maine Celtics assistant coach Craig Luschenat, a fellow DIII alumnus, was “shocked by his quick release” when first watching Demers play. But for all the things he does well, Demers has some adjusting and learning to do since entering the G-League, and he has to overcome ageism too, all while playing against the best competition he’s ever faced.

What’s more, the G League is molded in the NBA’s image, and as such, is dominated by the pick and roll, an offensive scheme which calls for defensive assignments that Demers has never played and for a brand new offensive approach for him, too. Where in college he had the green light like Damian Lillard, in the G League he’s tasked with emulating Jae Crowder, a typical three-and-D wing.

“Coming from DIII, he’s so used to being able to kind of do whatever he wants,” Luschenat explains. At Gordon, Demers would set up shop above the break. He had the freedom to attack the rim off the dribble, shoot deep pull-up threes, and even post up on occasion, as he did in his 25-point TBT performance. But in the G League, Demers now lives in the corner, waiting for more higher-profile players to pass him the ball, rebuilding his game to fit the new level. 

“I didn’t have any scholarships coming out of high school or anything like that. I just fell in love with the process of getting better,” he explains. “I loved basketball so much, I wanted to become the best I can. And I still do. So I try not to put a ceiling on myself or a window of opportunity. I just truly want to find my potential.”

After solidifying himself as one of the top scorers in college basketball, Demers was in Los Angeles training with professional trainer Jordan Lawley—also known as JLaw, who counts Zach Lavine, Klay Thompson, and Alex Caruso among his many clients—when COVID-19 hit. An early Instagram post from 2020 shows Demers working out with a EuroLeauge ball, underlining his impression that his first gig was going to come overseas. Freshly married and coming off a successful senior season at Gordon, Demers looked to sign with an agent and begin his pro career, but he found that “meeting with agents is a lot different for Division III athletes rather than Division I athletes.” 

Conversations over Whatsapp with agents speaking broken English trying to convince Demers to play in the country where they lived proved unfruitful, and a contract to play in New Zealand fell through because “they were kind of COVID-free at the time and didn’t really want anyone coming into their country.” With just half of G League teams going to the bubble, Demers didn’t get an invite and found himself teamless for the first time in years. 

Though Demers and his wife Lauren were “100% locked in” on Demers playing professional basketball, the financial realities of starting a family set in, and Demers was forced to take a job at a mortgage company through a friend at church, working out every day in addition to his office and family duties. (Lauren and Eric welcomed their first child, Jordan, in August 2021.) Months in, Demers says there were “moments in time where I had some hard conversations with my wife, and it was like, is it time to just move on from basketball?”

Ultimately, the pair decided that they’d wait to see what professional opportunities would come his way. Six months later, Demers earned an invitation to NBA Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs. Having quit his day job and now beginning his professional journey, Demers arrived in Las Vegas, only to find more doubters.

Walking around the Summer League arenas, someone even asked him if he worked in the Spurs front office. Looking for a table at a restaurant with former teammates from Gordon College, Demers was about to be turned away from the restaurant until one of his buddies told the restaurant workers that Demers was a Summer League player. 

And yet, Demers isn’t sweating any of it. He says the story about the restaurant is one of his favorite moments since becoming a professional basketball player. For JLaw, Demers’ ability to be “able to turn off the basketball side” when he’s not on the court is what sets him apart from other players.

Luschenat and Rejniak echo JLaw’s sentiment: “He doesn’t care whether you’re 6-8, 6-7,” boasts Rejniak, “he’ll cook you.” It seems from the outside that Demers is the ever-elusive, even-keeled player, never too high and never too low. 

Demers’ coachability is reflected in the ways he challenges his teammates. Sam Hauser, a two-way player for the Boston Celtics, is Demers’ main matchup in practice, says Demers is “consistently moving and keeping the defense on edge,” a skill that wasn’t important for him in college, but is now a key facet of his game. 

In the words of  Luschenat, Demers is “always ready.” After the game against the Knicks, the pro reflects on his rookie season thus far, and how unlikely it’s all been. This is just the beginning for him; he says that he can see himself playing in the G League for “two to three years,” and then potentially taking his talents overseas. 

 “Not many rookies especially come from where I’ve come from [and] get the opportunity to impact the team the way I have.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Former DIII Guard Eric Demers is Ready to Tap Into His Potential in the G League appeared first on SLAM.

“I knew I was gonna be good, but [to] get all the way here and achieve all these goals, to [have] everyone look at Kentucky and think, Rhyne Howard, that’s big,” she tells WSLAM. “I have a huge smile on my face right now, just even thinking about that. It is very exciting and I’m super happy that I’ll be able to leave a legacy.” 

Throughout her four-year career, Howard has not only solidified herself as one of the coldest scorers in college basketball but one of the greatest to ever rock a Kentucky uniform. Even with her quiet demeanor, the Cleveland, TN (yes, it exists), native lets her game do all the talking. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and as a sophomore, she was second nationally in scoring with 23.4 points per game, winning back-to-back conference POY awards then and as a junior. 

This past January, she continued to make history by becoming just the third Wildcat ever (men’s or women’s) to score 2,000 career points in 100 games or less, earning her a shout out from one of her favorite players, Klay Thompson, who congratulated her in a video. “I lost my mind,” she says of her reaction.

Despite the Wildcats’ difficult run this year, Howard made the most of her senior season and tried to keep her team encouraged. It’s that leadership that led the Wildcats on a magical run to the NCAA tournament. Just a few weeks after her interview with WSLAM, Howard and the Wildcats defeated No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Championship game, marking their first conference title in 40 years. After the win, Howard was spotted rocking a paper crown with her name on it as she held the trophy in her hand. The crown, in many ways, is symbolic of her legacy—the team has been using the slogan #CrownHer for years now.

Howard, who majored in Digital Media and Design, even has crowns on her own merch as well as her header on Twitter. “It’s like, never put your head down [or your] crown is gonna fall off,” she says. 

Tonight, she’ll add yet another lifetime achievement to her already illustrious career at the 2022 WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to be selected as high as No. 1. Having worked out with pros like Tiffany Hayes of the Atlanta Dream and Shavonte Zellous in past summers, Howard says she feels like she’s “got the skill set to be able to play with them” in the W. 

“For it to actually be coming true, and to be as high of a prospect as I am, is like, Wow,” she says. “I’m mind-blown. Like, I was just trying to make it, but now I’m at the top of everyone’s lists. It’s a dream come true.”  

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After an Illustrious Career at Kentucky, Rhyne Howard is Ready For the WNBA appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors say Stephen Curry is progressing well in recovery of sprained ligament in left foot and will miss remaining five games of regular season as he will be re-evaluated on April 11.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2022

Curry first suffered the injury two weeks ago, on March 16, after a collision with Marcus Smart while the two hustled for a loose ball. Since the two-time MVP went down, the Warriors have fallen to fourth place in the Western Conference after losing six of their last seven games, including a loss to the 12th place Washington Wizards last Sunday.

Curry has progressed well in recovery and will reportedly be re-evaluated in a week per multiple reports. ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported that Curry is out of his walking boot as of Thursday; Andrews also said that with the season-ending on two sets of back-to-back games, it’s likely that Warriors vets like Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson will sit out while Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr. are flexible to sit out as well.

“We were hoping that maybe he could play one or two games at the end of the regular season, but that was kind of a long shot. Kerr told Andrews, “This is how it’s turned out — I’m not too worried about him.”

The post Warriors Announce Stephen Curry Will Miss Last Five Games of the Season appeared first on SLAM.

After battling the Warriors to a 50-50 halftime tie, the Heat gave up a 19-0 run to start the third quarter to a Golden State team without the services of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Green.

Then during the timeout, it looked as if Jimmy Butler and Coach Erik Spoelstra had words. It was then when long-time veteran Udonis Haslem got into an altercation on the sideline with Butler. After teammates separated them, Spoelstra got angry with Butler as well, and then Heat players had to separate them.

Jimmy Butler was HEATED in the Miami huddle after the Warriors went on a big run to start the second half pic.twitter.com/6waBmHlL1r

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 24, 2022

Just moments later, the combative situation woke Miami up and sparked them to go on a momentum-shifting run to cut the lead to 81-80 by the end of the third quarter before the Warriors pulled away again to win 118-104.

So, to recap. Tied 50-50 at halftime. Warriors 19-0 run to 69-50. Then Haslem and Butler go at it. Now Heat within 81-80 going into fourth. Bananas.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 24, 2022

“You can use moments during the season to catapult you,” Spoelstra said about the potential effects of the event going forward via ESPN. “You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way. I don’t see that with our group. I don’t see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt.”

Wednesday night’s loss was the Heat’s second straight to a short-handed opponent. The Philadelphia 76ers beat them Monday night without James Harden and Joel Embiid in the lineup. 

When Heat point guard Kyle Lowry was asked about the heated moment, he downplayed the incident as not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

“It’s crazy, but it’s passion. … It’s good sometimes to get some anger and frustration out and just talk about it,” Lowry said via CBS Sports.com. “We’re gonna have situations that make people uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, as long as we’re comfortable and we figure it out, that’s all that really matters as long as we’re together. And we are.”

Miami has a chance to show their unity against the New York Knicks on Friday.

The post Heat Inspired by Altercation Despite Loss to the Shorthanded Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors have 12 games left to go in the regular season, and when Curry suffered his sprained left foot, Draymond Green recently returned from his long absence. The trio of Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson has played just 11 minutes together since Thompson went down with a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Be that as it may, the foundational members of the championship Warriors are no strangers to how the other plays. The trio has been pivotal in the League’s move towards smaller lineups and popularizing the pace and space era with their different iterations of the Death Lineup and the Hampton 5. Since 2015, Curry, Green, and Thompson played in five different NBA Finals series, winning three.

The Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green trio has played 11 minutes total together the last three seasons. Difficulty of playoff task rising for a group that hasn’t been able to line all their major pieces up at the same time.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 17, 2022

Currently, Chef Curry is wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Curry says he hopes to be back on the court and participating in basketball activities by next week but is aware that he must be cautious while recovering from his foot injury.

“From what I’m told, just in terms of ligaments around the injury and the bone that’s underneath there, you want to not rush the beginning phases of healing because that’s when you get the most progress,” Curry said. “Then, when you do put the shoe back on and get back on the court and get reps, you’re not dealing with crazy soreness or anything.”

The post Stephen Curry Confident He Will Return By the Time the Playoff Starts appeared first on SLAM.

30 and 11 and 23 back together again. (: @_JordanJimenez) pic.twitter.com/GX0hgMk5bU

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 15, 2022

The return of Green is pivotal for the remaining 13 games that the Warriors have left on their schedule. This is the first game Green has played since suffering a back and calf injury in January. Since he went down, the Warriors went 16-13, falling to third place in the Western Conference.

“To play with those guys again, it’s extremely special,” said Green per NBC Sports. “When it’s not all three of us out there, there’s still a void there. It’s still empty. At least that’s what I know I felt for the last two and a half years.”

Green posted six points, seven rebounds, six assists, and was a game-high plus-24 in 20 minutes. The return of Dray as the Dubs’ playmaking hub was also pivotal in unlocking a scoring explosion from Curry, who scored a game-high 47 points on 16-25 shooting, including 7-14 from deep, the most he’s scored since dropping 50 in November. Thompson scored 20 himself, on 4-12 shooting from three-point range.

Draymond runs the floor and feeds Klay pic.twitter.com/Usgpa9sW6G

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 15, 2022

With the return of Green as their two-way “control center,” the Warriors will look to work their way up to stealing the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs from the Memphis Grizzlies, who had an identical record to the Warriors. The task is daunting to Green, whose confidence that the Warriors will win a fourth championship since 2015 hasn’t waned.

“Whether we’re the No. 2 seed or No. 3 seed, we’re going to win a championship,” Green said. “Don’t really matter. I called it months ago.”

The Warriors look to win their fifth straight game when they host the Celtics on Wednesday.

The post Draymond Green Confident in Warriors’ Championship Expectations appeared first on SLAM.

Kuminga grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he fell in love with basketball at an early age. “When I started playing, we used to walk far away to find [a court]. There aren’t gyms all over like you see here,” he told SLAM in 2019. “[Here], you walk down two blocks and you find a gym, a park. You gotta walk like 45 minutes to get to wherever you gotta go to play [back home]. And then after that, you gotta make sure you get back home on time because [there’s] so much stuff out there. You might even find some people that are just going to see you on the road and stab you, try to kill you. It’s kind of dangerous. It [helped] me because I’m doing that walk every day. Even my team back home, I was the young kid on the team—they started taking me to every trip because they liked that I was motivated to do that walk to come play.”

In order to reach his full potential, Kuminga realized that he would have to travel a far greater distance. He got a one-way ticket to the United States, even though that meant having to be thousands of miles away from his family. Once there, he quickly began to take over the high school hoops scene, rising to become the No. 1 ranked prospect in his class. At 6-8, with elite athleticism, he was a dominant force on both ends of the floor. 

Along with Jalen Green, another five-star recruit, Kuminga decided to sign with the G League Ignite—a new program that offered a unique pathway to the NBA. Competing against much older, more experienced pros, he averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. 

The Warriors drafted him with the seventh overall pick this past summer. At 19 years old, he was considered a project—someone with promising talent and incredible upside, but not ready to contribute right away. Thus, he was widely viewed as a possible trade chip, giving Golden State the flexibility to negotiate for an established star who better fit their timeline.

But as the season progressed, it became clear that Kuminga absolutely was ready to contribute right away. Over the past several weeks, his role in Steve Kerr’s rotation has steadily grown. In February, the versatile forward has averaged 15.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game, shooting an absurd 60 percent from the field.

With defenses so fixated on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Kuminga waits for the right moments and cuts hard to the basket. When teammates find him, he finishes strong at the rim (see below). He is launching threes with more and more confidence, going 2/2 in Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets. His size, speed and athleticism make him tough to contain in transition, too. Of course, that combination also gives him an edge on the other end. He defends multiple positions effectively, uses his 6-11 wingspan to deflect passes and soars for impressive blocks.

RIM ROCKER

Jonathan Kuminga SOARS in for the emphatic flush!@warriors and Lakers on ABC NOW! pic.twitter.com/7jMlkcccjY

— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2022

Kuminga throws down the reverse jam

Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/RKzHfyMMsS

— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2022

BLOCK BY KUMINGA!#DubNation #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/TX5bhjNHs2

— Camisa 23 (@camisa_23) February 13, 2022

On Saturday, in a primetime matchup against the Lakers, Kuminga started and was tasked with guarding LeBron James. The rook got into some foul trouble, but did a solid job overall, forcing James into a few turnovers and generally making things difficult. Kuminga also had 18 points and 9 rebounds of his own, helping Golden State secure the 117-115 win. 

Kuminga’s got bounce pic.twitter.com/WykmXE5XIl

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 13, 2022

“He definitely rose to the moment,” Kerr told reporters afterwards. “The plan was—let’s get him experience now. Let’s put him on LeBron now because he’s gonna have to guard LeBron and plenty of other guys in the playoffs who are really tough jobs, tough covers. We’re just trying to get him all the experience he can get right now and he’s handling it beyond anything I could have expected even a couple of weeks ago. So his rise this last month has just been brilliant.” 

“Isn’t that crazy he’s not gonna be in the Rising Stars Game?” Klay Thompson added. “He just guarded LeBron James for however many minutes, gave us 18 on 11 shots—almost a double-double. How many 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds are doing that?”

It did seem crazy that Kuminga wouldn’t be a part of All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. Too crazy. Soon after that press conference, it was reported that he would be replacing the injured Chris Duarte in tonight’s Rising Stars Game—a well-deserved honor for a true rising star. 

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Jonathan Kuminga appeared first on SLAM.

For the 19-year-old Kuminga, a chance is given to showcase his skills against the League’s brightest young stars. Kuminga is averaging 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.3 minutes of run per game on the season.

Kuminga put many on notice in the Dubs’ weekend game against the Los Angeles Lakers, recording 18 points, nine rebounds, and one block in 25 minutes. However, what was most impressive is that he was given the dreaded task of guarding LeBron James — and he held his own. The King shot 33.3% percent from the field, the lowest field goal percentage he’s shot in a game this season when playing 35+ minutes.

Kuminga’s performance left teammate Klay Thompson impressed, per NBCSports.

“He just guarded LeBron James for however many minutes, gave us 18 on 11 shots, and almost a double-double — how many more 19-year-olds or 20-year-olds are doing that?”

Kuminga will look to continue his strong rookie campaign by delivering an outstanding performance in the Rising Star game this coming weekend.

The post Jonathan Kuminga Replacing Chris Duarte in the NBA Rising Stars game appeared first on SLAM.

The 31-year-old All-Star came back and showed some new tricks up his sleeve, not only scoring 15 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and shooting 3-5 from three-point range. He handed out six assists as well in a season-high 26 minutes. The most noticeable dime came when Thompson threw a behind-the-back pass to Andrew Wiggins in transition for a layup. Most surprisingly, Thompson ended up three behind-the-back passes.

“Growing up, it’s funny. Coaches try to tell you to fundamentally throw not one-handed passes, but two-handed chest passes,” Thompson told NBA.com. “But if you want to be a complete basketball player, you got to be able to make that behind-the-back play.”

Don’t get it twisted; Thompson can make the simple pass. The 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft just wanted to show off his creativity. Instead of shooting the ball like he usually would, Thompson decided to make the right play, prioritizing the Warriors’ signature team play even more than he does typically. His career-high for assists is eight, achieved in four other regular-season games. He has posted six dimes or more in 25 previous games.

In the seven games he’s played so far, Thompson averages 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from long-distance. The Warriors play the Timberwolves at home on Thursday.

The post Klay Thompson Shows Off Efficiency and Court Vision in Warriors Win Against Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

One of the best shooters to ever touch a basketball made his way back on the court on Sunday against the Cavaliers following 941 days away from the game.

“There’s a few games that you just always remember,” said Warriors Coach Steve Kerr on Saturday. “Certain moments you always remember. I have no doubt that when Klay walks onto the floor for the first time, I will never forget that particular game. It will stand out as one of the highlights of my entire basketball existence.”

Thompson went down with an ACL injury in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. He finished the contest with a game-high 30 points on just 12 shots despite leaving the game early.  

Since he last played, so much has changed. The world had shut down due to COVID-19, while the Warriors went through two down seasons where they drafted near the top of the lottery. 

Regardless, Golden State is back on track and has looked like the best team in the NBA to this point in the 2021-22 season. The Warriors (30-9) are once again a legitimate contender and are getting Thompson back at the midway point of the season on Sunday night. 

Known for being a great player on the court, Thompson is also one of the most well-respected players off the court too. As such, past and current players all around the league were excited for his return to action.

Thompson is like brother to his teammates, making it even more emotional for the Warriors entering Sunday’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he would make his debut. His fellow Splash Brother and close friend Stephen Curry gave his thoughts on the highly anticipated return of Thompson in form of a video tribute.

Draymond Green was on the court for the opening tip against the Cavaliers to honor Thompson but did not participate in the remainder of the game after dealing with some left calf tightness he experienced during pregame warmups.

“He’s a warrior,” Green said in the lead up to Thompson’s return. “No pun intended with that. There’s no other way to describe him. He’s going to give everything he got every time on the floor. What’s why we love him.”

The first points of the game for Golden State came from Thompson. Unexpectedly, it wasn’t a three-pointer that began the next chapter of Thompson’s career. 

Thompson’s first bucket of the season was on a drive to the rim, where he scored in the paint. From there, he would look to get his game going from beyond the arc but went 0-3 from deep before his opening stint of minutes in the first quarter came to an end. 

Thompson wouldn’t made it back to the court until late in the second quarter. However, that’s when he started to show that he was officially back. Despite building a reputation as a shooter, the veteran rose up and threw down a monumental dunk towards the end of the half. 

“To know that I can still do that [dunk] and being able to just get to my spots and rise up and shoot?” Thompson said per ESPN. “It’s only up from here.”

The Warriors had a 51-46 lead when halftime came, with Thompson notching seven points in just eight minutes. Although his shots weren’t falling as often as he would have liked, but he was still making an impact.

Thompson was huge in the third quarter when his quick scoring burst extended the Warriors’ lead into double-digits. From there, they never looked back in the big win.

When it was all said and done, Thompson finished with 17 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the field (3-8 from three-poiIt’serritory) to go along with three rebounds, one assist, and one block. He was the Warriors’ second-leading scorer on the night. 

“I will never forget the reception that Warriors fans gave us, especially myself,” Thompson said on his long awaited return. “Gosh it was fun and it was worth every single day of being away and in that squat rack or on that shuttle board and all the conditioning days. It was worth every single moment.

As he gets acquainted with the team, the game will only start to slow down and feel more natural for Thompson. It’s unclear how much production to expect from him, but when he last played during thee 2018-19 season, he was an NBA All-Star that averaged 21.5 points per game while knocking down over 40.2 percent of his ise-point attempts. 

Thompson was also one of the premier perimeter defenders in the entire NBA, often matching up with an opponents best player. Regardless of what he looks like for the remainder of the season, what is clear is that one of the greatest shooters in the history of the League is officially back. 

“This is only the beginning,” said Thompson as he walked to the locker room after the game.

“Tonight may be the most difficult game he plays in,” said Kerr postgame. “It’s so different from a playoff game. 941 days, with all that frustration and all that disappointment built-in over time, it’s going to be incredibly emotional for the rest of us, so I imagine what it would be like for Klay.”

The Warriors will take on the Grizzlies (28-14) Tuesday night as Thomson continues his return to NBA action. The emotional return couldn’t have gone better for the five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion. 

The post Klay Thompson Shines in Highly Anticipated Return appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the NBA released its first returns on All-Star fan voting, and there are a few surprises sprinkled throughout.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry leads the way in voting, who has accumulated nearly 2.6 million votes, almost around 200,000 more than the second-place vote-getter, Kevin Durant. A familiar face rounds out the position leaders in LeBron James, the top vote-getter among forwards in the Western Conference and an unusual but deserved face in DeMar DeRozan, the top vote-getter among guards in the Eastern Conference.

DeRozan’s lead and now expected All-Star appearance is much deserved, as he is having a career year for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

Other players to accumulate over one million votes thus far include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Paul George. Andrew Wiggins just missed out at 933,355 votes.

Every year, a few unexpected names pop up and receive hundreds of thousands of votes, and this year is no different. Klay Thompson has yet to play a game this season for the Warriors, but he is still the fourth-highest vote-getter among Western Conference guards. Kyrie Irving is sixth amongst guards in the East, despite just making his season debut on Wednesday.

Derrick Rose is averaging just 12.0 points per game for the New York Knicks coming off the bench and has received nearly double the votes of Darius Garland and Fred VanVleet. Two other vets coming off the bench received a hefty number of votes: LaMarcus Aldridge and Carmelo Anthony, who have started a combined 13 games between them.

If you want your favorite player to be further up the list, you still have some time! NBA All-Star fan voting doesn’t close until Saturday, January 22, and the full rosters will be announced in full on February 3.

The NBA All-Star game will take place in Cleveland at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday, February 20.

The post Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant Lead NBA All-Star Fan Vote Returns appeared first on SLAM.

There’s optimism Golden Warriors guard Klay Thompson will make his return vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, sources tell ESPN. A final decision is expected once the Warriors return from a two-game trip on Friday.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 3, 2022

The Warriors will reportedly be making their final decision on Friday after returning from their two-game trip. Per Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, when Thompson returns, Coach Steve Kerr will insert the sharpshooter into the starting lineup. As of December, Thompson’s main focus was conditioning so that he could be a high-minute starter with a “smaller role than he is used to.”

Thompson recently went viral after knocking down 24 straight three-pointers in practice on Sunday. The Warriors’ (28-7) next contest is against the Heat (23-14).

24 consecutive 3-pointers for Klay Thompson pic.twitter.com/VvhFubPkfq

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 2, 2022

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Curry accomplished the feat in the first quarter of the Warriors’ 123-116 win over the Jazz on Saturday. It tops the previous mark, 157, Curry set during the 2015-2016 season, when he won the MVP unanimously for the first time in League history.

Stephen Curry hits a three in his 158th straight game, breaking his own all-time record! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/6vAmlaqGBF

— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2022

The noteworthy feat adds to the extensive list of recent accomplishments by Curry. He passed Klay Thompson for most 40 point games with only one free throw on November 15. Just five days later, Curry passed Ray Allen for the NBA’s all-time three-point record (regular season and playoffs) against the Bulls. On December 29, he eclipsed the 3000 mark for made three-pointers. 

The three-time NBA champ and two-time MVP entered the game averaging 27.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game on 43.3 percent shooting from the field. Even though he is shooting a career-low 39.7 percent from the three-point line, he still shoots five percent better than the League average, according to NBA.com. 

Another all-time record for @StephenCurry30! pic.twitter.com/HmEX8fuL5Y

— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2022

Stephen Curry has his next opportunity to extend the streak on Monday when the Warriors (28-7) play the Miami Heat (23-13).

The post Warriors Superstar Stephen Curry Breaks His Own Three-Point Shooting Record appeared first on SLAM.

3️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ career 3-pointers and counting pic.twitter.com/8Wg601gjWv

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 29, 2021

Curry set the record in the third quarter, knocking down the historic triple over Facundo Campazzo. The Baby-Faced Assasin finished the night with 23 points on 6-16 shooting from the field (5-14 from long distance). Curry has had a momentous season with the Warriors thus far, leading them to a League-best 27-7 season without fellow sniper Klay Thompson, and set the record for most three-pointers made in the regular season.

“It’s kind of a weird thought to think that for the rest of my career, for the most part, I’m pretty sure, every 3-pointer I make will be a new record,” Curry told NBCSports. “I’m just going to enjoy it. I don’t know what’s next, something like 3,333? Got to start coming up with stuff. See y’all next year for that one, probably.”

In addition to that ridiculous feat, Curry also matched one of his records by hitting a three-pointer in his 157th consecutive game. The current streak began on Dec. 1, 2018. Curry has made 3004 triples in his career and has a chance to knock down at least 400 for the second time in his career.

Curry won’t limit himself to what he’s capable of doing when it comes to creating more historical benchmarks.

“Nah, same thing when I hit 400 in a season,” Curry said. “You don’t really put limits on what can happen. Just hoop and enjoy yourself and see what happens when it’s all said and done.”

The Warriors replay the Nuggets (17-16) on Thursday.

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The Warriors signed Otto Porter Jr. this past offseason, hoping that Porter could provide consistent shooting coming off the bench. Porter is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from long range for his career. Which the Dubs hope will be a lethal combination with Jordan Poole when Klay Thompson makes his return to the lineup. While Porter has always been known as one of the league’s most accurate shooters, he’s also known as a player that can’t stay on the floor. 

The nine-year player’s struggles with injuries with each of his last three previous teams scared off many NBA teams and were considered a gamble to Golden State. That gamble has paid off handsomely, according to Warriors Coach Steve Kerr. 

Kerr was a guest on 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” podcast this week and expressed how impressed he was with Porter Jr.’s season thus far. 

“I think the biggest surprise, honestly, is that he’s been healthy,” Kerr said. “It had been a rough couple of years for Otto. He has not been healthy. As soon as he signed his contract in the summer, he was in our training room that week and every day since. He put in the work, and it’s paid off for him.

“We knew he was a good player. It was mainly, we were just trying to figure if he was going to be available and healthy. It’s just been great to see. He’s really been a fun player to coach and play with.”

Otto Porter scored 7.6 points and grabs 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range in 26 games off the bench for Golden State. 

The post Steve Kerr Praises Otto Porter Jr.’s Input To Golden State Warriors Success appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors do not plan for Klay Thompson to debut on either Dec. 20 or Dec. 23 home games, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Thompson won't come back on Christmas. So earliest possible return would be Dec. 28 — with Thompson ramping up conditioning over next couple weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 16, 2021

According to Charania, the Warriors do not intend to play Thompson in either of their home games on December 20 against the Kings or December 23 against the Grizzlies. According to NBCSports, the Warriors plan on bringing Thompson back at Chase Center, which implies he won’t play on Christmas when the Warriors play the Suns. The earliest possible date would be December 28, when the Nuggets come to town.

In a radio interview with 95.7 The Game on Tuesday, the Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers said that Golden State has not yet determined an exact date for Thompson’s return.

“All is well,” Myers said per Alex Espinoza. “I’m excited for it to happen, too. We haven’t even decided internally when it’ll be. We’ll talk to [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celibrini] and Klay. But the good news is, there’s a light. If you’re in this tunnel, it’s been a long tunnel for Klay, and you can see this light. As the closer we get, like you guys, I want to see him so bad, for our team, for many reasons, for him.”

As of late, Thompson has been in the final stages of his rehab from his Achilles injury and is currently focusing on his conditioning. This season, the Warriors are 23-5 and will play Friday against the Celtics.

The post REPORT: Klay Thompson Likely Won’t Return On Christmas appeared first on SLAM.

When reporters asked Curry if he could hit all 16 when the Warriors (20-4) play the Trail Blazers (11-14) at home on Wednesday, Curry responded:

“Anything is possible,” he said per ESPN.

If Curry were to hit 16 in one night, that would also mean breaking teammate Klay Thompson’s single-game record of 14 set in October 2018, besting Curry’s previous record of 13.

“What is it, 15?” Curry said of tying Allen’s mark per ESPN. “That’s funny because I know what that means is Klay’s record and all that, too. So we will see. … If you’ve seen the way I’ve played, especially recently, I’m not shy about shooting the ball, so the game will dictate what that looks like. I’m not coming out with that as the true goal of how I play, but crazier things have happened.”

While breaking the all-time career and single-game record in one game is improbable, Curry told NBCSports that even though he hasn’t been shy of shooting lately he isn’t going into the Portland game with breaking the record as a goal and that he will allow the pace of the game to dictate what will happen. Over the last three games, Curry has launched 41 triples, 13 against the Magic, 17 against the Spurs, and 11 last Friday against the Suns, knocking down 18 during that same span.

His career-high for three-point shot attempts in one game is 22, in the 2020-21 regular-season finale against the Grizzlies.

If Curry were to test his limitless green-light against one team, his best bet would be to do so against Portland, who rank dead last in the NBA in three-point defense (allowing opponents to shoot 38.9 percent from distance) and defensive rating (112.9).

The post Stephen Curry On Hitting 16 Three’s To Break Ray Allen’s Career Record: ‘Anything Is Possible’ appeared first on SLAM.

His quest for knowledge has taken on a new level as he asked former 2015 NBA Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala for tips on defending LeBron James. Iguodala shared the story on Draymond Green‘s latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show” via NBC Sports Bay Area.

“Wigs was like, ‘Yo, what are some things you like to do when you guard LeBron [James]?’ I was like, ‘Woah! Bro, you got way more ability than me.’ But then I had to like, ‘Oh, OK. This is a good thing.'”

“I gave him some pointers. Like, it’s really not about stopping him because you can’t. It’s about beating him to the spot when he gets there. That starts when Steph Curry shoots. So as soon as Steph shot the ball, I would be looking for LeBron like, ‘All right. Where is he at? At what point attack will he be taking the ball out of bounds?’ That’s the first thing that went on my mind.”

Iguodala was the lead defender on James during the Warriors’ four consecutive NBA Finals appearances against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His defense on James was the main reason he took home the 2015 NBA Finals MVP award.

Wiggins has resurrected his career after coming over in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020. This season, Golden State will need his defensive prowess with Iguodala near the end of his career and Klay Thompson returning from two significant injuries.

As the Warriors’ primary wing defender, the former No. 1 overall pick looks to continue improving with Iguodala in his ear along the way.

The post Andrew Wiggins Asked Andre Iguodala For Tips On Guarding LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors announced that Thompson and teammate James Wiseman would be scheduled to practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors just days ago. The five-time NBA All-Star was cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages leading up to hitting the floor with Santa Cruz.

On Monday, the Warriors released footage of 1/2 of the splash brothers back on the court getting shots in during G League practice.

Thompson has been out since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, where he tore his ACL going on to tear his Achilles tendon during a workout before the start of last season. Hopes are finally high for the three-time champ as he has been given the green light to play ball after two years.

“He’s cleared for full go, so everything we did was full 100 percent he was going,” Santa Cruz’s Head Coach Seth Cooper says (per CBS Sports). “There was no holding him back. There was no pulling back, it was just letting him go and letting him experience playing all out. He did that, and he looked really good doing it… I think he made his first 18 shots.”

With Thompson cleared his Warriors return is around the corner as he is expected to make his debut around Christmas.

“I hate to use the phrase ‘can’t wait,’ because I love to be present in my life,” Thompson says, per CBS Sports. “But I cannot wait. I really, really enjoy being a Warrior.”

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